Ashok Tanwar skips Haryana Congress meet on polls, holds parallel deliberations
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Haryana assembly elections next month, rift between Congress leadership in the state has widened. Former state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar has not been attending party meetings to decide candidates or campaign for assembly polls and instead held a parallel meeting with his supporters.
The party’s state election committee met in the national capital and was attended by Tanwar’s successor Kumari Selja, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kiren Chaudhary, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Captain Ajay Yadav. The party is expected to come out with a list of candidates by Monday, ahead of the October 4 deadline for filing nominations.
Tanwar, who is also member of the committee, skipped the meeting and held another meeting at the Constitution Club. Earlier this month, Tanwar, who was involved in a bitter fight with Hooda, was shown the door as state chief. “I am not attending any meeting as I am not happy with the party’s decision. What is the use of attending meeting when in Hooda’s Rohtak rally, names of his cabinet was also announced?” said Tanwar.
Amid the infighting, the party faces an uphill task to take on the BJP government which is riding high.
According to Congress sources, the rift between senior leaders will cost the party dearly in the assembly elections and has demoralised the party cadre in the state.
On Tanwar skipping the party meeting, Selja said the party’s focus is on the elections and Central Election Committee will meet September 30 to finalise candidates.
BJP may deny tickets to 16 sitting legislators
Chandigarh: The BJP will release the list of all its 90 candidates in Haryana on September 29. At least 16 sitting MLAs may be denied tickets this time. The RSS has reportedly sought 15 tickets for its cadres, including for Hisar, Faridabad, Pataudi, Dadri, Sohna and Barwala seats. In 2014, six tickets were given to the RSS nominees.