Khattar admits farmers’ stir hit poll result

Chandigarh, December 31

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar today admitted that farmers’ protests were responsible for the poor performance of the BJP-JJP combine in the local bodies poll.

Addressing a press conference today, Khattar said despite “adverse circumstances”, the BJP won one municipal corporation mayoral post and one president’s post in a municipal council, while the Congress and Haryana Jan Chetna Party bagged a mayor’s post each.

When questioned whether the farmers’ protest was behind the losses, he said he had hinted at it while mentioning the “adverse circumstances”.

However, he said the BJP had performed better than the Congress. “We have won in 36 wards while the Congress bagged just 19. The verdict is out. We are ahead,” he said.

On the farmers’ protest, he said: “Farmers are our brothers. They are being misled. They are protesting in the severe cold. Our Central leaders and farmers’ representatives have been negotiating. Some demands have been accepted while the rest would be taken up on January 4.”

“Our government has done the maximum for farmers in the last six years as compared to any state government in the country,” he said. “The MSP will never be stopped in Haryana,” he said. — TNS