The rift between Congress heavyweights Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja is causing quite a stir in Haryana, and it could derail the party’s hopes of returning to power after a ten-year slump. Selja is fuming over the ticket distribution and has decided to pull back from campaigning. In fact, the last time she was seen out and about was when she accompanied a candidate for nomination—eleven days ago!
Her biggest pain point is that she couldn’t secure tickets for her loyal supporters in her Lok Sabha constituency, Sirsa, where she won by a staggering 262,000 votes just a few months ago. Her absence is reportedly causing concern among Dalit voters, who were just starting to lean towards Congress, thanks to the party’s aggressive push for pro-reservation policies.
In light of this mess, Rahul Gandhi has stepped in to try and mend fences. He has tasked Ashok Gehlot, the party’s election in-charge for Haryana, with convincing Selja to get back in the game. Plus, party treasurer Ajay Maken, who was in charge of screening candidates, has also been asked to reach out to her.
Rahul’s message is clear: the party must present a united front, and factionalism isn’t an option. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP is eager to capitalise on the divide. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked Selja to quit Congress and join his party. Sources close to Selja ruled out the possibility of her leaving the party. However, the Congress internecine fight is sure to impact the party’s electoral performance in the state.
Full Circle
Delhi govt may bring back pvt liquor retailers
The liquor retail business in the National Capital Territory of Delhi is likely to come full circle, with the state government reportedly planning to bring back private liquor retailers. The AAP government introduced a new liquor policy in 2021; however, this policy was withdrawn in 2022 following allegations of corruption, which led to the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, along with many private vendors.
Before the introduction of the new policy, liquor was sold in Delhi through both government and private vends. With the new policy, the government withdrew from the liquor sale business, and the entire operation was handed over to private players. However, when the 2021 policy was withdrawn, the government did not renew the licences of the private retailers who sold liquor before the introduction of the new policy.
The business has since been exclusively handled by the government. The exit of private players led to a significant drop in the number of vends. Sources say the state government’s revenue from liquor sales has also dropped over the last two years.
They indicated that the government is, therefore, actively considering bringing back private retailers by renewing the licenses of the pre-2021 licensees. There were over 250 private vends in operation before the announcement of the new liquor policy. The government currently operates over 500 liquor shops in the national capital.
Shahid Faridi
The writer is Resident Editor
TNIE, New Delhi.
Follow him on X @Shahid_Faridi_