Haryana: Bickering may harm Congress-backed candidates

CHANDIGARH: Bickering among leaders has not just embarrassed the Congress party at the state and national level, the same has become quite evident even at the micro-level, a close look at the civic polls has revealed.

Polling for the civic elections will be held on Sunday, and the BJP, AAP and INLD have fielded candidates on their party symbols, but the Congress has bowed out.

Though the Congress had decided not to contest the general elections to 28 municipal councils and 18 municipal committees of the state, it has left it to the MLAs to take call at local level. As a result, Congressmen aspiring to be the chairpersons and presidents of the municipal councils and committees, affiliated to different leaders like Bhupinder Hooda, Randeep Surjewala, Selja, Kiran Choudhry and Ajay Singh Yadav, may contest against each other.

BJP has fielded 38 candidates, followed by 18 candidates by AAP and eight candidates by JJP, which is an alliance partner of BJP.

Sample this; In Kalka, one candidate each holds loyalty to Surjewala and former Dy CM Chander Mohan, while the other candidate is blessed by local MLA from the Congress, Pardeep Chaudhary, while the third Congress-backed candidate is said to be close to CLP leader Bhupinder Hooda.

Similarly is the case in Kaithal, Dabwali, Naraingarh and other many councils, committees and wards.

"In our constituency, we have three Congressmen or their wives contesting. All have their claims and affiliation and are equally important to me as well. Hence, we chose to sit quietly. Only those MLAs are campaigning who are clear about their stand," said a Congress MLA from Ambala district.

"I am totally unaware as to what is happening in other areas. For me, we have just one consensus candidate and he is doing fine. Rest, we always adhere to the decisions of the party high command," said Dabwali MLA from Congress Amit Sihag.

While speaking to TOI, Jitender Bhardwaj, the working president of the Haryana Congress, reiterated the party's decision. "Our decision was a conscious decision and we followed the precedence. Since there is no anti-defection law, hence government would force the elected councillors to get to their side. Hence, we had directed the local leadership and MLAs to take their call. This will certainly not weaken our party anyway," said Bhardwaj.



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