Chandigarh: Amid speculation that Congress’ prominent Dalit face Kumari Selja is upset and has preferred to maintain distance from the ongoing campaign for the Haryana Assembly elections, party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday said the Sirsa MP would join the poll campaign from September 26.
Rumours have been rife that owing to a rift between Selja and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who got a maximum number of tickets for his loyalists by ignoring the claims of both Selja and Surjewala camps, she preferred to opt-out from the campaigning and may join the rival BJP.
Putting an ending to the rumours, Surjewala, whose son is in the fray from Kaithal, wrote on X, “MP and elder sister Kumari Selja will also address a public meeting in Narwana on (September) 26 at 12 noon and campaign for the Congress. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Kharge-ji, Congress will fight, win and make the dreams of Haryana come true.”
Replying to a media query about Selja’s “conspicuous absence” from the campaigning, Hooda, who is leading the poll campaign, said the BJP has already acknowledged defeat, especially with Khattar’s offer to Selja to join his party.
Her silence after nominations ended caught the eye of BJP’s outgoing Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday accusing the Congress of being “anti-Dalit” for hesitating to declare her as the chief ministerial face.
“The Congress is anti-Dalit and does not respect Dalits. If any Dalit leader wants to move forward, the Congress crushes that leader. Kumari Selja is a big leader…if she wants to become the Chief Minister, what crime did she commit?” Saini told the media.
His assertion comes a day after Saini’s predecessor Khattar, now a Union Minister, invited her to join the BJP.
“Our Dalit sister is sitting at home. A large section of people are today thinking about what they should do. Many people were upset with them and we brought them into the party fold. We are ready with an offer and if she comes, we are ready to induct her,” Khattar was quoted as saying.
Congress sources told IANS that upset over the denial of tickets to leaders owing allegiance to her camp, Kumari Sejla preferred to stay away from the electioneering.
In the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, Kumari Selja defeated BJP’s Ashok Tanwar by 2,68,497 votes from the Sirsa (reserve) seat. Congress rebel Tanwar was the Haryana Congress president.
Former Home Minister and BJP leader Anil Vij, who is in the fray from his stronghold Ambala Cantonment, said: “There is no respect for women in the Congress, and there is no respect for Dalits also. If someone can use casteist words about such a prominent leader (Kumari Selja), then what must the situation in Congress be? Everyone should be aware of this.”
Haryana will go to the polls for the 90-member Assembly on October 5 with the ballot count on October 8.
–IANS