• durgesh dubey
• 21 Sep, 2024

Selja

In Karnal, on being asked will Congress MPs Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala join the BJP, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar says, "It is a world of possibilities and possibilities cannot be ruled out. You will know everything when the right time comes".

In the midst of a challenging electoral contest against the ruling BJP in Haryana, the Congress party is grappling with internal tensions, particularly concerning Kumari Selja, the AICC general secretary. For the past few days, Selja, the party MP from Sirsa, has been notably absent from the campaign trail for the upcoming assembly elections on October 5, prompting speculation in political circles. Selja holds significant influence in key constituencies, especially in Sirsa and Fatehabad. Reports suggest she is dissatisfied with the ticket distribution process, having secured only nine tickets for her supporters. Despite her efforts, she was unable to persuade party leadership to nominate her close associate Ajay Chaudhary for the Narnaund assembly seat, despite having announced him as a candidate.

Furthermore, she reportedly sought a nomination for a family member from Uklana and had requested around 30 tickets for her camp. Out of the 90 assembly seats in the state, 17 are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. Insiders reveal that senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala managed to secure only four nominations of his preference. Together, Selja and Surjewala obtained 13 tickets for their loyalists from the 89 seats the party is contesting, while the remaining tickets bore the stamp of Bhupinder Singh Hooda. A party leader remarked, “This indicates that all is not well within the state unit.” Notably, Selja was absent from an event in Delhi where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge unveiled seven party guarantees. Although Selja remains active on social media, recently sharing a video about arson in Bihar targeting Mahadalit houses, she has not responded to repeated attempts for comment. A close aide mentioned she was at her residence in Delhi, while Sunil Parti, media advisor to opposition leader and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, declined to comment. Meanwhile, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad voiced his support for Selja, questioning how many times a dedicated party member should face disrespect after years of service.