Cong plays Punjabi card against Khattar in Karnal

KARNAL: The Congress on Thursday fielded state president of its youth wing Divyanshu Budhiraja from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat against former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, both from the Punjabi community.

The 31-year-old leader, a native of Sonepat’s Gohana, has been president of the Panjab University Student’s Council representing the National Students Union of India (NSUI) in 2014.

Budhiraja started his political journey with the student wing of the party in 2013 and remained its state president from 20172021, after which he was elected as the state president of the Youth Congress.

He was jailed in 2017 for allegedly blocking Khattar’s convoy, while protesting against unemployment in Panchkula. While raising another student’s centric issue, he blocked a state highway outside the Kurukshetra University in 2018.

People close to him said that he is a first-generation politician, who has been residing in Karnal for over a decade now.

Budhiraja is considered closer to the Hooda clan and was chosen despite stalwarts like Virender Rathore, Virender Shah alias Bulle Shah, Chanakya Pandit, Maratha Virender Verma and others were also eyeing a Congress ticket.

Political watchers see this decision by the Congress to name a Punjabi candidate for the first time on the Karnal seat since Independence as a clear indication to take on Khattar on caste lines that will help them consolidate the votes of the community that dominates on the seat.

Dr Kushal Pal, a political analyst, and principal of Indira Gandhi National College in Kurukshetra’s Ladwa, said that there is no doubt that the Punjabi community in Karnal and Panipat still feels honoured that Khattar held the top post twice, but there is a strong anti-incumbency wave against him.

“Other than the caste factor, it also depends on how efficiently the stalwarts and leaders, almost double his age, who were denied ticket over Budhiraja, support him. Though national issues dominate the parliamentary elections, I believe the Congress will try to rake-up state or local issues to take on Khattar,” he said. Dr Pal also believes that Budhiraja has a Herculean task ahead as he has been named just before the nominations, while Khattar, with a strong party organisation, has been on ground for the

past one month.

Meanwhile, Shamsher Singh Gogi, Congress MLA from Assandh seat, said, “Our party will ensure that Budhiraja wins against Khattar, who might be nearly twice his age, but while being the CM for 9.5 years, Karnal has been pushed downwards.”

On being asked if all the leaders will support and campaign for him, Congress district coordinator Tarlochan Singh, said, “This is no hidden fact that many senior leaders were eying the ticket, but party has chosen a young face. Despite that, the entire party will untidily stand with him to ensure his victory. The unemployed youth of Haryana are against Khattar and the BJP, who are expecting support from us. Throughout his political career, Budhiraja has raised the issues of youth, students, and unemployment.”