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Days ahead of Assembly elections, the Congress is Haryana is facing a crisis as Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ashok Tanwar, a confidant of the party high command, has threatened to resign over the list of candidates. A source close to the PCC president said he has sent his resignation letter to party president Sonia Gandhi.
Tanwar was apparently unhappy with the domination of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the selection of candidates. He was particularly unhappy with the party candidates for Dabwali and Rania in Sirsa district. The candidatures he opposed were that of KV Singh and Ranjit Singh. The Chief Minister's camp argued that the two names must be included as they will give a tough fight to the Indian National Lok Dal.
Congress leaders said Tanwar’s decision will have “serious implications” for the party. Tanwar walked out of the screening committee meeting held here on Wednesday, protesting the decision of the panel to exclude his suggestions for Dabwali and Rania. His future plans, however, are not clear yet.
Tanwar, a former president of the National Students Union and the Indian National Youth Congress, is considered close to both Sonia and Rahul. Efforts are on to placate him. But Tanwar has apparently told the leadership that diluting the democratic form of the Congress cannot be justified. He is learnt to have complained that certain leaders as behaving as feudal lords and the high command should control them.
More than 90 per cent of names in the list, which was released on Wednesday, were suggested by Hooda. “Hooda is much senior and stronger leader in the State. So it’s natural that the high command takes his suggestions more seriously,” a senior leader said. Another senior leader from the State, Kumari Selja, is also unhappy. Just two names suggested by her found place in the final list.
Hooda’s plan to contest from two seats, however, was reportedly scuttled by Sonia.
The Congress is fighting a 10-year-old anti-incumbency in the State. The party got just one seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. This time, it hopes to have an edge in a four-cornered fight.
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