Fate of Hooda’s ‘Shakti’ rally, which is to be held at Sonepat district of Haryana on November 10, is now caught in the internal rift and factionalism, sprouting in the party for quite sometime, with Birender Singh imposing conditions prior to the commencement of the rally.
Birender Singh, a congressman and Member of the Rajya Sabha, has said that he will not attend the rally if Congress president Sonia Gandhi or vice-president Rahul, either one of the Gandhi’s are not present at the venue. Irked with the treatment meted out to him by Haryana Congress, Singh said “We are linked with our party and answerable only to party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi, if they are not coming, then there is no point in attending.”
Meanwhile, one of the senior Congress leaders told The Pioneer that Haryana Chief Minister might have called two meetings with MlAs, MPs and party workers at his Chandigarh residence to discuss about the rally, but he has failed to take us in confidence. The leader was present during one of the meetings called by the CM.
Singh on the other hand, is alleging that the state Congress has failed to prove that the rally which is to be held on November 10 is being organized by the ‘state government’ or the Congress Party. If this upcoming rally is being organized by the government, we are least bothered, but if it is being organized by the party, we are certainly going to be a part of it. However, we won’t attend the rally without being formally invited to attend it, he added.
According to sources within the state Congress, keeping in mind the factionalism within the party, which has divided it into two groups, Hooda has decided to refrain from sending any formal invitations to any of the party member.This decision has been taken to put the anti Hooda lobby in a delirium, which is budding within the state Congress with names like Rajya Sabha MPs Birender Singh and Ishwer Singh, Union Minister Kumari Selja and MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh, in it.
“This rally is being organized by the Congress party; hence we have decided not to send formal invitations to any party member. However, CM is talking with everyone on his personal level and requesting them to make this rally a grand affair”, said a senior Congress leader while justifying Hooda’s decision.
The face off between Hooda and Birender Singh, ticked off in public, when the Chief Minister arranged a public meeting at Panipat district of Haryana on August 20 to launch the Centre’s Food Security bill, to counter the rally, organized by the Rajya Sabha MP at Jind district of Haryana, to mark late Rajiv Gandhi’s birth day.