In a significant political development, industrialist and former Congress leader Naveen Jindal has joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just weeks before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, unveiling its fifth list of candidates for the polls, announced that Jindal will contest from Kurukshetra, the constituency he represented from 2004 to 2014.
Naveen Jindal, the Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power, expressed his desire to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). He thanked the Congress leadership and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for the opportunity to serve as an MP from Kurukshetra for a decade.
“I represented the Congress Party in Parliament as an MP from Kurukshetra for 10 years. Today, I am resigning from the primary membership of the Congress Party,” stated Jindal in a social media post moments before making the transition to the BJP.
His induction into the BJP was marked by a formal event attended by the party’s general secretary Vinod Tawde, who emphasized that Jindal’s presence would further strengthen the government’s agenda of enhancing the country’s economy and prosperity.
However, Jindal’s move drew swift criticism from his former party, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioning the timing and attributing motives to Jindal’s decision. Ramesh highlighted Jindal’s perceived lack of contributions to the party in the past decade and referred to his resignation as a “big joke.”
On the other hand, Naveen Jindal lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, citing significant milestones such as the abrogation of Article 370, the construction of the Ram Temple, and the overall progress of the country during the last 10 years.
The BJP’s dominance in Haryana was underscored in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when the party secured victory in all 10 seats in the state, setting the stage for a competitive electoral battle in Kurukshetra this time around.
Sources By Agencies