Rahul Gandhi, Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Randeep Surjewala, Kumari Selja
There are only three days left for nominations in the Haryana assembly elections, but political parties have not announced candidates for all 90 seats. BJP has announced tickets for 67 seats while Congress has announced names of candidates for only 41 seats. In this way, people are keeping an eye on the candidates for the remaining seats of both the parties. The situation is understandable because of the political situation that arose after the announcement of the first BJP list, but what is the reason for the delay in the Congress?
After announcing two lists of 41 Congress candidates, tickets for 49 seats are to be announced. Congress’s problem does not stop at the compulsion of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, but rather the perceived factionalism of the party’s leaders. There are many such seats where there are more contenders and belonging to different camps. Haryana Congress veterans Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala are trying to get tickets for their respective leaders in these seats, due to which the matter has stalled.
Where are the seats stuck?
The alliance talks between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are going on in Haryana, due to which the ticket issue has not become complicated. The seat sharing between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party is only about five to seven seats, but 49 seats are on hold. In Haryana, the Congress wants to give only five to six seats to the Aam Aadmi Party. Hence it is more of a factionalism of Congress leaders than a coalition, as all are advocating giving tickets to those close to them.
Hooda dominates the list
Apart from Bhupendra Hooda, factions of Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Singh Yadav and Chaudhary Birendra Singh are active in Haryana Congress. Shelja, Surjewala and captain Ajay Yadav are together in opposition to Bhupendra Hooda, while Birendra Singh is currently holding the hand of both camps. Hooda’s dominance is visible in the list of 41 Congress candidates. The three leaders are determined to get their favorites the ticket. After much churning, the Congress high command is looking for a way to end the growing controversy.
Kumari Selja has managed to get four leaders close to her as candidates, while Ajay Yadav and Birendra Singh have given tickets to their respective sons. If we look at the list of declared candidates of Congress, Kumari Selja’s close associate Pradeep Chaudhary has been nominated from Kalka, Shaili Chaudhary from Narayangarh, Renu Bala from Sadhaura and Shamsher Gogi from Asandh seat. Ajay Singh Yadav has succeeded in getting his son Chiranjeev Rao ticket again. Similarly Chaudhary Birendra Singh has also made his son Brijendra Singh a candidate from Congress.
Unable to reach consensus among leaders
Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala’s son is yet to get a ticket and neither has anyone close to him been nominated. Due to which the tickets of the remaining Congress candidates are not being announced. Congress Screening Committee has met five times. A sub-committee was formed to decide candidates for two dozen seats in the state. A sub-committee headed by Congress leaders TS Singhdev and Madhusudan Mistry has held several meetings on these seats, but no consensus has been reached among Haryana leaders.
The screw stuck on these seats
Former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda has camped in Delhi to get tickets for his supporters. At the same time, MPs Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala presented their faces in front of the high command. Both have also submitted a list of names to their supporters to get tickets in their respective areas. The Congress seats where the issue is stuck include Hisar, Sirsa, Kaithal, Panipat and Jind district assembly seats.
Which seats is Selja eyeing?
Kumari Selja is eyeing assembly seats in Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts, from where she is lobbying for tickets to her closest leaders from the Congress. In this way, Randeep Surjewala wants to get tickets to his supporting leaders on the seats of Kaithal and Jind districts. Similarly, Ajay Yadav is also trying hard to get tickets for his close leaders in South Haryana, especially in the Ahir belt seats.
Will Selja and Surjewala contest?
Congress has already refused to give tickets to MPs in assembly elections, but Kumari Selja is claiming to continue contesting. No MP’s name is included in the three Congress lists. In such a situation, Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala are doubted to contest the election. In such a situation, Surjewala was first thinking of contesting the elections himself, but in case no MP gets a ticket, he is now asking his son Aditya Surjewala for a ticket. Surjewala’s son’s name is not included in the Congress list. In such a situation, it remains to be seen when the Congress announces the names of its candidates for the remaining 49 seats.
