Khattar deserves second term, says Rajnath as BJP sounds poll bugle

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kalka (Panchkula), August 18

Despite inclement weather, Manohar Lal Khattar’s “jan ashirwaad yatra’ took off with much fanfare from here with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh batting for a second term for the Chief Minister for undertaking unprecedented development and providing “transparent and corruption-free” governance in the last five years.

“Earlier, Haryana was notorious for nepotism and corruption. However, in the last five years, Khattar has transformed the state into a progressive state through overall development rooted in transparency, good governance and graft-free regime,” Rajnath said ahead of flagging of Khattar’s “jan ashirwaad yatra” which marked the launch of the campaign for the October Assembly elections.

Repeatedly patting Khattar on the back for bringing a systemic change in the state, the minister termed him a “fakir” Chief Minister, who had steered the state on the growth trajectory by putting its interests before self-interest, which was in sharp contrast to the his predecessors in the state.

Listing achievements of the Khattar government, including a transparent recruitment system, impressive foreign direct investment, implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, schemes for the farming community, Rajnath Singh asserted that such a Chief MMinister deserved a second term in office.

Striking an emotional chord with people, Rajnath Singh claimed that Khattar’s performance had been far better than his chief ministership in Uttar Pradesh.

He asserted that the BJP believed in implementing its pre-election promises in letter and spirit as was clear with the abrogation of Article 370. The BJP’s policies were guided solely by national interests and there was no question of exploiting caste and religious sentiments for “vote politics”, he added.

Earlier, Khattar claimed that the BJP government had worked tirelessly for bringing about a systemic change in the last five years, and as a result nepotism, casteism and corruption were a thing of the past in the state.

“The mandate received from the people of the state in municipal corporation elections, Jind byelection and the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections is proof of people’s support for work done by the government so far,” Khattar said, urging people to give another term to the BJP government.

Union minister and Haryana Assembly election in charge Narendra Singh Tomar, Haryana BJP in charge Anil Jain, state BJP chief Subhash Barala, Union ministers of state Rattan Lal Kataria and Krishan Pal Gurjar, state ministers Ram Bilas Sharma, OP Dhankar, Capt Abhimanyu, Manish Grover, Karan Dev Kamboj, Krishan Bedi, Vipul Goel, Rao Narbir Singh, Krishan Lal Panwar and Kavita Jain and Media Adviser to CM Rajiv Jain were prominent among those present on the occasion.