The leaders were present at Rahul Gandhi’s Haryana Vijay Sankalp Yatra.
New Delhi:
Congress leader Kumari Selja shared the stage with her party colleagues Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi in Haryana today, negating reports of her possible switch to the BJP with the gesture.
She was seen standing hand-in-hand with the Gandhis in the presence of other senior leaders including former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Presenting a strong symbolism amid the buzz of infighting in the Haryana Congress, Rahul Gandhi was seen joining the hands of Ms Selja and Mr Hooda.
हरियाणा में ‘दर्द के दशक’ का अंत करने के लिए कांग्रेस पार्टी पूरी शक्ति के साथ एकजुट है, संगठित है, समर्पित है।
अब प्रदेश में 36 बिरादरियों की सरकार बनेगी, सबकी हिस्सेदारी तय करने वाली सरकार बनेगी, न्याय की सरकार बनेगी।
हरियाणा में कांग्रेस की आंधी आ रही है – अब हाथ बदलेगा… pic.twitter.com/WZQRqUsQAi
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 30, 2024
The leaders were present at Rahul Gandhi’s Haryana ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra‘ in Naraingarh in Ambala district.
हरियाणा में ‘दर्द के दशक’ का अंत करने के लिए कांग्रेस पार्टी पूरी शक्ति के साथ एकजुट है, संगठित है, समर्पित है।
अब प्रदेश में 36 बिरादरियों की सरकार बनेगी, सबकी हिस्सेदारी तय करने वाली सरकार बनेगी, न्याय की सरकार बनेगी।
हरियाणा में कांग्रेस की आंधी आ रही है – अब हाथ बदलेगा… pic.twitter.com/WZQRqUsQAi
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 30, 2024
“The Congress Party is united,” posted the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha on X, sharing a photo that depicted the ‘unity’ amid talks of discord.
The 61-year-old won the Sirsa seat in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. But, she also wanted to contest the state elections, a wish that was refused by the Congress. Her displeasure became apparent when she skipped the press conference where the Congress released its seven guarantees for Haryana.
Had she contested and won the Haryana assembly elections, it would have necessitated a bypoll for the Lok Sabha seat. The Congress, it is understood, didn’t want to risk losing the seat.
“I am a loyal worker… good soldier,” Kumari Selja told NDTV, asserting “there should never be any doubts” about her commitment to the party and state.
She, however, admitted that she did want to “serve the people of Haryana as a legislator rather than MP” and also that there were “serious issues” that the Congress senior leadership was “working on”.
The BJP, meanwhile, tried to turn her disappointment into its own benefit, with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar saying, “any self-respecting person in her shoes would consider their next steps”.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini attacked the Congress and accused it of being “anti-Dalit”. Ms Selja, who has twice served as a union minister, is a senior Dalit leader.
“How much respect do they give (to Dalits) …” she scoffed at the BJP leaders’ remarks.
Earlier, Congress candidate from Uchana Kalan assembly constituency Brijendra Singh rubbished speculation of Kumari Selja leaving the party. “Kumari Selja is one of the very senior leaders, there is no point in saying such things about her. She will contribute fully to Congress in this election… BJP is a shop of lies,” Brijendra Singh said.
Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8 along with that in Jammu and Kashmir.