Sounding the bugle in Haryana for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Sunday sought the support of the people for the ruling BJP in all the 10 parliamentary seats in the state, saying it would help in ensuring that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP garners over 300 seats in the polls.
Addressing the BJP’s rally at Sirsa, Shah maintained how the saffron party dispensation under the leadership of PM Modi and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has ”done the maximum” for sportspersons, farmers and soldiers of Haryana over the last nine years.
During his speech, Shah made it clear that the BJP would contest all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state on its own without any alliance partner, even as the Khattar-led coalition government has the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) as its key ally.
Amid rising tensions between the two allies, Dushyant, the Deputy CM, recently declared that the JJP would fight all the 10 Lok Sabha seats, planning to hold rallies starting from Sonipat on July 2.
At the BJP’s show of strength at Sirsa’s Anaj Mandi, on the stage with Shah were, along with CM Khattar and other senior BJP leaders, the Independent MLA from Rania, Ranjit Singh, who is Dushyant’s estranged granduncle. Ranjit is also part of the Khattar Cabinet, holding the Energy and Prisons portfolio. After the rally ended, Shah went to Ranjit’s residence in Sirsa, and had a meeting with him.
In his over 20-minute address, the Union Home Minister did not did not name the JJP or Dushyant. He, however, said, “Today, when I have come here I would also like to remember Chaudhary Devi Lal (former Deputy PM).
Devi Lal had seen lots of dreams for Haryana’s farmers. Nobody else has fulfilled those. Our Narendra Modi has fulfilled those (dreams).”
Late Devi Lal was the great grandfather of Dushyant, who has always claimed that “the JJP is the only party that is following the footsteps of Devi Lal.”
Amid slogans of Jai Shri Ram and Bharat Mata ki Jai from the gathering, Shah praised the sportspersons, farmers, soldiers and people of Haryana, highlighting their contributions for transforming India into a stronger nation. “Whenever I come to Haryana, I always recall that whenever the nation faced an enemy’s attack, people of Haryana always stood strong and protected Maa Bharti with their life and blood”, he said.
“Haryana is a land of sportspersons. If the country wins a medal, every third medallist is from Haryana. When Khelo India took place here (in Haryana), I told Manohar Lal ji to have a large heart and do maximum for these sportspersons. He (CM) also did a lot for them (sportspersons) in all these years”, Amit Shah added. “I would also like to pay my gratitude to our farmers, both from Punjab and Haryana, who had been feeding our entire nation.”
Shah told the rally, “Twice, you people from Haryana have ensured Narendra Modi’s victory by giving all the 10 seats from Haryana. This time also I would like you to ensure that lotus blooms in all the 10 seats of Haryana to ensure BJP gets over 300 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.”
Targeting the previous Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Leader of Opposition,
Shah said, “Hooda government was a 3D — Darbari, Damad aur Dealer ki Sarkar. Manohar Lal has eliminated all the three Ds,” referring to alleged corruption that took place during the Congress regime from 2005 to 2014.
“Manohar Lal is first Chief Minister of entire Haryana. Earlier, Chief Minister only used to be of Rohtak. After the BJP government was formed, Modi ji’s all schemes were implemented at the ground level by Manohar Lal across Haryana”, Shah said.
He also compared the tenures of Hooda and Khattar as the CM, citing several examples to claim how the BJP government has performed “far better in terms of investment and infrastructure development, farmers’ welfare, crop-prices, direct benefit transfer to farmers in their bank accounts etc.”
Recalling the Covid pandemic, Shah mocked at Rahul Gandhi for allegedly doubting the Covid vaccine. “Rahul Baba used to call it Modi-injection. One night, he (Rahul) also went and got the vaccine,” Shah said.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Minister said the Congress had objected to the move. “I asked Rahul Baba why shouldn’t we do it? He said streams of blood will flow in Kashmir. Forget about any stream of blood, we abrogated Article 370 and nobody has been able to even throw a stone since then,” he said.
Khattar called Shah the nation’s “Iron Man”, likening him with Sardar Patel and Modi. Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal called him “Adhunik Bharat ka Chanakya”.
Earlier in the day, after addressing a rally in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, Shah landed at Sirsa Air Force Station by a special aircraft, where Khattar, BJP in-charge of Haryana Biplab Deb and state party president Om Prakash Dhankar received him. Shah paid obeisance at the Gurdwara Chilla Sahib of Sirsa before reaching the rally’s venue.
Amid the growing fissures in the BJP-JJP relations, Biplab has met six Independent MLAs of Haryana, including Ranjit and Haryana Lokhit Party leader Gopal Kanda over the last fortnight. Haryana is slated for the Assembly polls in October 2024, five months after the parliamentary elections.
During his speech, Shah made it clear that the BJP would contest all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state on its own without any alliance partner, even as the Khattar-led coalition government has the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) as its key ally. (Twitter/ AmitShah) 
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