A meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was held on Monday under the chairmanship of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Chandigarh regarding the Rajya Sabha elections.

Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi failed to turn up, while the entire lot of 30 Congress MLAs passed a resolution endorsing the Congress high command's decision of candidature of former Union minister Ajay Maken for the Rajya Sabha seat. Maken will file his nomination papers at assembly premises on Tuesday.
AICC in-charge Vivek Bansal and Maken also were present during the meeting. Prominent among those present included HPCC president Uday Bhan, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda, working president Shruti Choudhary and other senior leaders as well.

In the meeting, all the MLAs were told to report at leader of opposition Hooda’s residence at Sector 7 from where they will proceed for assembly.

Maken requires a support of 30 MLAs and resolution by Congress legislative party for making it to Rajya Sabha from Congress quota.  Later on interacting with media, Hooda avoided the queries related to Bishnoi’s absence as well as the reason for Randeep Surjwala filing nominations from Rajasthan. "Deciding on candidates is the prerogative of party high command. It’s AICC which decides who would file nominations and from where. So far as Kuldeep Bishnoi is concerned, he has spoken to AICC incharge,’’ said Hooda.

On this occasion, Maken, formally met all party MLAs and thanked party President Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition Hooda.  Maken said that he would fight with Deepender Singh Hooda for the issues of Haryana in Parliament. ‘Ek aur Ek Gyarah,’ is how Maken described how he and Deepender would take on the ruling BJP government at the centre.

Replying to questions regarding Bishnoi, Bansal said Bishnoi will definitely vote in support of Maken.