ML Khattar In BJP 2nd Lok Sabha List, Day After He Quit As Chief Minister

New Delhi:

A day after he resigned as Haryana chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar today featured in the BJP’s second list of 72 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The 69-year-old will contest from Haryana’s Karnal, the seat from which he resigned as an MLA earlier. 

Mr Khattar, who served as the chief minister for nearly a decade, declared his resignation following the trust vote won by the incumbent government led by Nayab Saini. During an emotional address, Mr Khattar expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the Leader of the House and affirmed his commitment to continue serving the people of Haryana.

Among the prominent figures listed in BJP’s second list are Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, and Anurag Singh Thakur, alongside former chief ministers Mr Khattar, Trivendra Singh Rawat, and Basavaraj Bommai. The party’s chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member, Anil Baluni, has been nominated as the candidate from Garhwal in Uttarakhand.

In Delhi, the BJP has introduced two fresh faces for the upcoming elections – Harsh Malhotra from East Delhi and Yogendra Chandolia from North West Delhi. Meanwhile, in Karnataka, Union minister Pralhad Joshi is set to contest from Dharwad, while BS Yediyurappa’s son, BY Raghavendra, will represent the party in Shimoga. Tejasvi Surya will be seeking re-election from Bengaluru South.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wadiyar of the Mysore royal family stepped in as the BJP candidate in the Mysore seat, replacing Pratap Simha.

The announcement follows the BJP’s initial list of over 190 candidates earlier this month.