CHANDIGARH: With its candidate Rohtash Jangra from Sirsa withdrawing his candidature on Monday, the BJP may support Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) chief Gopal Kanda in the Assembly elections. Like the Congress, the saffron party will now be contesting 89 of the 90 seats.Ahead of the development, the BJP convened an emergency meeting in Sirsa and decided that Jangra should step down. Kanda—an MLA from Sirsa—had earlier extended support to the BJP government. “I have withdrawn my nomination. The decision has been taken in the interest of the state and the country, we have to ensure a Congress-mukt Haryana,” Jangra asserted.When asked if he had withdrawn in Kanda’s favour, the BJP leader said, “Gopal Kanda has supported us (BJP) for five years. We have taken this decision for Sirsa’s development.”Recalling his family’s long-standing connection with the RSS, Kanda said that his father, Murli Dhar Kanda, contested the Dabwali seat in 1952 on a Jan Sangh ticket, and his mother continues to be a BJP supporter.BJP leader and former MP Ashok Tanwar said, “There is only one aim, which is to form a BJP government for the third time and to have a Congress-mukt Bharat.” The BJP has now extended its support to HLP, which already has the backing of the INLD and the BSP alliance.On the other hand, INLD secretary-general Abhay Singh Chautala, talking to the media at Ellenabad, said he would discuss with his alliance partner BSP on the next step. “As the BJP has supported Kanda and he had accepted it, we will hold parleys within the alliance on the issue of our support to him,” he said. Now, Kanda’s main rival will be Congress candidate Gokul Setia.
Source link
