UP minister Dinesh Khatik hints at not defending Hastinapur in 2027 polls

Meerut (UP), Dec 25 (PTI) Two-time sitting MLA and Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Khatik has indicated that he may not defend the Hastinapur seat in the 2027 Assembly elections.

Addressing a programme at Kharkhoda in Meerut district on Wednesday, Khatik, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, said he has already served twice as an MLA and a minister, and he does not wish to become a legislator from Hastinapur again.

Khatik, however, said he remains fully committed to the party’s decision and will contest any seat the BJP directs him to.

Khatik also said he is well aware of the historical and mythological significance of Hastinapur, the capital of the Kuru Kingdom in the Mahabharata.

A video of his speech was widely shared on social media, triggering speculation in the local political circles.

Hastinapur witnessed a close contest in the 2022 Assembly elections, when Khatik defeated Samajwadi Party’s Yogesh Verma by a narrow margin of 7,312 votes, with BSP’s Sanjeev Kumar Jatav finishing a distant third. PTI COR ABN ARI