NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls, the Congress on Wednesday said that it would not field the MPs in the contest. The decision came days after Congress MP Kumari Selja said that she would prefer contesting the assembly elections. The Dalit leader, however, said that the leadership would take a final call.
The party’s move is seen as an attempt to end the factional fighting in the state unit. Speculation was rife that Selja and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala might fight the assembly polls.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Congress general secretary and Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria said that the MPs would not be allowed to contest. “No one will be given permission to contest,” he said, adding that the MPs would campaign for the party.
The party is holding a four-day meet of its screening committee to select the candidates for the polls due October 1.
Sources said that the party arrived at an agreement over at least 18 seats in the 90-member assembly. The bitter factional fight has come out in the open in the past between the camps headed by former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Selja and Surjewala. The high command has reportedly told senior leaders that factional fights shouldn’t dent the party’s prospects as it is hopeful of snatching power from the BJP this time.
Meanwhile, BJP has dared Congress to declare Selja as its CM candidate to prove its commitment to the SC community.