Haryana Election 2024: Ramit Khattar denies joining Congress votes for the BJP
More news may be considered taking shape just before the 2024 Assembly elections in Haryana as a rather unusual dramatic turn saw the nephew of the former Chief Minister and BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar get himself into controversy. The names included Ramit, whose entry into the Congress was indicated by several news items, including a front-page report by Jagran English, a day after he clarified that he stands by his denial of the allegations and that he remains committed to the BJP. It has been coming due to social media posts and public appearances which were surfacing some speculations regarding the political affiliation of Ramit ahead of elections.
The Allegation: Congress Claims Ramit Khattar’s Entry
It began on September 19, 2024, when the youth wing of Haryana Congress posted (formerly known as Twitter) that Ramit Khattar had officially joined their ranks. In a Hindi post, it was written that Shri Ramit Khattar, nephew of Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, joined the Congress today. The Congress Party welcomed him warmly. With a quick proliferation of the post including a photograph of Ramit standing side by side with Congress workers making ripples in the political circles of Haryana.
The timing of this claim is important, since all 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly are up for grabs in the elections scheduled to take place on October 5. Any movement or defection within political families, especially those related to high-profile leaders such as Manohar Lal Khattar, would undoubtedly make headlines in the electoral race.
Adding to the confusion was the statement made by Congress’s Rohtak candidate Bharat Bhushan Batra, who while campaigning had stated that Ramit had indeed joined the Congress. Ramit was present at the event with Batra and could be seen standing alongside him, which furthered rumors he had defected to the Congress.
Ramit Khattar Clarifies: False Assumption?
The next day, as viral claims and photos flooded the social media and news outlets about Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Batra’s interactions, his rival Ramit Khattar came out with a strong clarification: “As for Bharat Bhushan Batra, I met him only for an informal cup of tea. This was merely a coincidence as he happened to be present at the event.”. He dismisses the allegation of his being a Congress member. “Everybody was standing there. After putting a piece of cloth on me, they clicked the picture and made it viral.”
Ramit describes the allegations against him and the Congress as wholly improper. “I am very disappointed that a casual meeting was used for political mileage.”. He also clarified that his loyalty towards uncle, Manohar Lal Khattar and BJP was singular and that there might not be ditching from his side before the election. He also clarified that such a misunderstanding had not only been problematic but also occurred in the midst of hot polls.
Political Significance: Why This Matters for BJP and Congress
Unlike Manohar Lal Khattar, his uncle who had been Haryana’s Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019 and a very important man for BJP, the name doesn’t ring a bell. Still, the fact of a member of the family crossing over at an election time is always news. Haryana being a state where politics revolves around personal and familial associations, there was lot to process in the claim that Ramit had joined Congress.
For the BJP, Ramit Khattar joining Congress probably seemed a story of all’s well that ends well. Manohar Lal Khattar has always been at the forefront of the party’s electoral strategies, and his family members remaining loyal has become synonymous with his political clout. Any apparent move by any of his family members to Congress could have signaled splits within the Khattar camp – which may have raised some eyebrows from BJP loyalists and voters.
For the Congress, the optics would have been that they were gaining the family of Khattar, thereby hinting that the party was picking up speed in advance of the October elections. The Congress youth wing seems more keen on milking confusion to get it advertised that high-profile people are crossing over to their side with the claim and photo on social media.
Ramit Khattar Spotted with BJP’s Rohtak Nominee
Not long after he issued his clarification, Ramit Khattar was spotted with Manish Grover, the BJP nominee for the Rohtak constituency, which reinforced the allegiance of Ramit Khattar towards the BJP. The very fact that he did attend the public meeting arranged by Grover went a long way in directly countering the Congress’s claims and, by appearing in the stage, indirectly pronounced his loyalty to the BJP.
The timing of Ramit’s arrival with Grover was also indicative that whatever may be the chit-chat and misperceived interpretations, he was firmly on his uncle’s party’s side, and support for the BJP’s candidates in the upcoming elections did not seem to have been shaken off his stand. His presence at the event also helped ease concerns within BJP ranks that the Khattar family’s allegiance might be wavering ahead of the crucial Assembly elections.
What Lies Ahead: The Road to the Haryana Elections
What is in store for Haryana is arguably the BJP and the Congress’s most fiercely contested battle in the 2024 Assembly election. In both parties’ schemes of winning the state, Haryana elections have never seemed important to anyone.
Winning Haryana for the BJP was of utmost importance, and making the slightest whisper about its defections or disloyalty would be harmful. Therefore, the party would be carrying forward the message of unity and surging ahead for the polls on 5th October.
But for Congress, there is much more to be achieved. In Haryana, it has struggled for long to gain traction, and the party is quite eager to latch onto any straw to look like a viable alternative to BJP. Perhaps media confusion over supposed defection by Ramit Khattar may have created some passing publicity, but it certainly won’t last long in impacting the election.
Conclusion: A Case of Miscommunication
The Ramit Khattat saga involving the Congress is just a reminder of how easy it is for such instances of political misinformation to occur during elections. A casual meeting could eventually become a rumor of a defection, which led to unnecessary confusion on both sides of the divide. Clarification courtesy of Ramit and subsequent appearances with BJP’s Manish Grover have fixed things in place.
Amid Haryana’s ongoing political scenario leading up to the Assembly polls, both parties will be eager to avoid further misunderstandings while focusing on core messages to electorate in this context. For now, the name of Ramit Khattar will probably fade from news and spotlights will return on the candidates and issues that will determine the verdict of polls.
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