Haryana polls: After BJP, now Congress hit by protests over nominations
Ashish Dua of Congress said the party has spoken to all those denied ticket; many have realized the party’s position and decided to withdraw their candidature
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress is now under attack from its own leaders, who have hit out at the party after it was refused nomination for the Assembly elections.
The Congress is contesting 89 of the total 90 seats – it has left Bhiwani for the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Political analysts say the protests by disgruntled Congress leaders will prove to be a blow the party, which was hoping to ride to power on a supposedly anti-incumbency wave.
Widespread anger in Congress
Lalit Nagar, who claims to be a strong candidate and who won the 2014 Assembly election from Faridabad’s Tigaon constituency on Congress ticket but lost in 2019, has filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
Nagar said he was associated with the Congress since 1984 as an NSUI worker and his four-decade association meant a lot for the party.
“But the party ignored my hard work, my potential and my association. I am a hardcore Congress activist. I have decided to contest independently. I am responsible to the people of my constituency under whose pressure I have filed my nomination,” he said.
Claimant upset in Ballabhgarh
Sharda Rathore is another Congress rebel who filed her nomination as an independent from the Ballabhgarh constituency.
“I was assured by Congress leaders that my name was on top of the list. My candidature was approved by the party based on my field knowledge and hard work. I know every detail of Ballabhgarh. I am in touch with every single person in my constituency... I am very disappointed. I have to continue working for my constituency. I filed my nomination immediately after the list was announced,” she said.
The fighters in Haryana
More than 900 candidates have filed the nominations in the state for the October 5 Assembly elections. Besides the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, other parties in the fray are Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Azad Samaj Party (ASP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) among others.
Chitra Sarwara from Ambala Cantt is another disgruntled Congress candidate. She told The Federal that the Congress has made big mistakes in ticket distribution.
Chitra Sarwara
“I will win from Ambala Cantt. In 2019 I contested as an independent against Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij and gave him a close fight. The Congress was nowhere in the race. I joined the Congress on the condition that I will contest in 2024 as the party candidate. But the party kept me in the dark. It will pay for this… I am deeply hurt,” she said.
The Congress did not give ticket to veteran politician and former finance minister Sampat Singh, a winner multiple times and the most senior Congress legislator in 12th Haryana Assembly. He has filed nomination as an independent from Nalwa in Hisar.
Abhijit Tanwar from Bhiwani, Harsh Chhikara from Gohana and Vidya Rani from Narwana are among the Congress leaders who have accused the party of partiality and corruption in ticket distribution.
Justifying Congress stand
Ashish Dua, a Congress leader, told The Federal that the party has spoken to all those denied ticket and that many have realized the party’s position and so decided to withdraw their candidature.
He said the Congress was confident of taking power in Haryana and that is party leaders and workers were “over-excited”.
“I was also a strong contender for the Gurugram seat. I have been working in the constituency for over two decades. But I have to respect the decision of the party,” Dua said.
Many alliances in Haryana
He said the Congress received over 2,500 nominations for 90 seats and it had to decide the best options.
The Congress–AAP split in Haryana is also expected to dent the Congress's prospects. The JJP is contesting in alliance with the Azad Samaj Party, and the INLD has teamed up with the BSP. The AAP is contesting all 90 seats.
“The protests in the Congress was expected, and this may be a gain for the INLD and BSP. But the Congress will ensure all its rebellious leaders are back in the party and ensure 50 plus seats for itself,” a Jat leader told The Federal.
Congress-AAP non-alliance
Devinder Singh Surjewala, a political analyst in Haryana, told The Federal that not joining hands with the AAP won’t harm the Congress, which is strong enough to contest the elections alone.
“The feelings of voters as well as leaders of the Congress in Haryana are against a pact with the AAP. The AAP cannot harm the Congress though it has influence in towns. It will hurt the BJP,” he said.
It is said the declaration of seats by the Congress was delayed till the last moment due to last-minute objections over seat equations between the camps of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja.
