Factionalism came to the fore once again in Haryana Congress on Tuesday with State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar taking on his rival and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda head on.
After the entry of two former MlAs Bl Saini and Ashok Kashyap into the party in a function hosted by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar on Tuesday termed the entry of two former MlAs as “unlawful”.
Tanwar while talking to the mediapersons said that the two leaders joined the Congress without the permission of party high command and it is “unlawful”.
The State party chief went onto say that whenever someone joins the party, the central leadership takes a decision in this regard. No such procedure was followed for the entry of these two leaders into the Congress. As such, the entry of these two ex-MlAs is “unlawful”, added Tanwar.
Hooda had on Sunday at his Chandigarh residence, held a function for the entry of two ex-MlAs Bl Saini and Ashok Kashyap, who quit the Indian National lok Dal (INlD) to join Congress. While Tanwar was not present on the occasion, Hooda and some of his loyalists welcomed the two former MlAs and their supporters.
This is not the first time the two Congress leaders have crossed swords after their bitter fight over ticket distribution in 2014 Haryana assembly polls in which the party was reduced to a pathetic 15 seats, even losing the status of the main opposition party to the Indian National lok Dal (INlD) in the state assembly.
Hooda and Tanwar have been at loggerheads for a long time and the bickering had escalated after the Congress was voted out of power in the state with Tanwar holding Hooda directly responsible for the party’s drubbing.
Under Hooda’s leadership the Congress came to power for two consecutive terms from 2005 to 2014.
Hooda has already proved that he has got support of the maximum number of party legislators while Tanwar has got the support of ClP leader Kiran Choudhry.
Recently, the state Congress infighting came out in the open at a state-level function at Karnal to mark the conclusion of a series of programmes on the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar with supporters waving red and pink clothes to express their loyalty to respective leaders. Tanwar and
Hooda supporters had also raised slogans in their support during the function held in the presence of party’s state in-charge Shakeel Ahmed, party secretary Asha Kumari.
Also, several MlAs are now seeking ouster of Haryana Congress president Tanwar and had last month sought time from party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi to raise their demand for change in leadership.
Of the 15 MlAs in the state, 12 had also met Shakeel Ahmed to put forth their complaints against Tanwar.