After successfully ruling for two terms and eyeing for hat-trick in Haryana, the ‘demoralised’ Congress on Sunday did not rule out the possibility of post-poll alliance.
Neither accepting, nor revealing, the Congress hinted at a possibility of forging a post-poll alliance with “like-minded party”, if such a situation arise.
“In politics, nothing is impossible,” asserted All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Haryana Dr Shakeel Ahmad, while interacting with the media persons in Chandigarh.
His assertion assumes significance considering that the Congress party had got a major dent in its committed vote bank owing to inner party rift that forced more than two dozen of its senior leaders, including sitting MPs, MlAs and committed party workers, to desert the sinking ship and jumping on the BJP’s bandwagon, besides other political outfits.
In addition, the party’s 46 expelled leaders, who were shown the door due to “anti-party activities”, would also pose another big threat for Congress’ candidates who were seeking votes against it. To top it all, the party is struggling with the ongoing anti-incumbency factor across the state.
The assertion came at a time when several pre-poll surveys are indicating around 15 seats for the Congress out of total 90 in these assembly polls.
Considering the same, the senior party leaders are now chalking out other possible ways to form the next government in Haryana.
According to sources, the party may rope in independent candidates this time too as it did in 2009. In 2009 assembly polls, Bhupinder Singh Hooda had formed the government with the support of eight independent MlAs besides five MlAs from Haryana Janhit Congress.
Against this, the party is confident of gaining majority. “We had got 40 seats last time only six were remained, and now expecting amajority with 50-plus seats,” said Ahmed.
On senior leaders leaving the party, Dr Ahmed said that they left for their “own interest”. “What else Chaudhary Birender Singh wanted from the Congress…He lost 2009 assembly polls and was accommodated with the post of Rajya Sabha MP besides party’s general secretary and member of our apex decision making body CWC. But, he left the party within merely three months after the party lost 2014 general elections,” he said, adding that now he was opposing that party in which he remained for 45 years.
Maintaining that the party was taking disciplinary action against rebels, he said that 46 have been taken to task and “many more are in the queue…It is not happening with the Congress only, but every party is facing the same thing whether it is BJP or other parties, for ticket distribution”.
Assuming the possibilities of post-poll alliance between BJP and INlD, Ahmad said: “In Karnataka, BJP removed Yeddurappa for corruption charges but again took him back without exonerating from corruption cases…Similarly, BJP can get INlD’s support to form government if it requires so after results.”
Ahmed claimed that Modi always compared Gujarat and Haryana by wrong figures. “Gujarat’s per capita income is Rs 94,000 per annum as compared to Rs 1.35 lakh annually in Haryana.