Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, nine of his Ministerial colleagues, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is also an AICC spokesperson, figure in the list of 90 candidates announced by the Congress for the October 15 Assembly polls in Haryana where its unit is hit hard by factionalism. While one of the Cabinet Ministers and two Ministers of State have not been given tickets, as many as 11 females have been fielded.
The last date of nomination is on Saturday and all other major players like the BJP, INlD and HJC have already announced all their candidates. While the BSP too is in the fray in some of the constituencies, former State minister Gopal Kanda, who is out on bail is contesting the polls in the state where the ruling party is grappling anti-incumbency.
Congress is expected to face an uphill task in the polls given the fact that it could secure just one seat Rohtak in the home district of the Chief Minister out of 10 seats in the lok Sabha polls. INlD had won two seats while BJP had secured seven 0seats.
While Hooda is being fielded from his pocketborough of Garhi Sampla Kiloi in Rohtak district, Speaker Kuldeep Sharma will contest from Ganaur and Power Minister and Surjewala from Kaithal. Former Chief Minister Bansi lal’s daughter-in-law Kiran Chaudhary is the party candidate from Tosham while his son Ranbir Singh Mahendra, a former MlA and BCCI chief has been fielded from Badhra seat in Bhiwani district.
Cabinet ministers Savitri Jindal has been fielded from Hisar, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav from Rewari, Rao Narendra Singh from Narnaul and Geeta Bhukkal from Jhajjar-SC. The party has nominated senior leader and sitting MlA Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak. Amongst the council of ministers, the party decided to drop Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh, Ministers of State Shiv Charan lal Sharma and Sukhbir.
The delay in finalising the list is attributed to the strong differences between Hooda and PCC President Ashok Tanwar. In fact, during a meeting of the central election screening committee meeting on Tuesday as well as Wednesday at the residence of senior party leader P C Chacko, Tanwar vehemently protested some allotments and even walked out in a huff. Sources said Tanwar also offered to resign in protest against his nominees not being considered.
Harayana General Secretary incharge Shakeel Ahmed besides other leaders like Asha Kumari, Kiran Chaudhary, Harmohinder Singh were also present.
The list, which was almost final on Saturday itself and was expected to be announced on Sunday or Monday, had to be postponed since Hooda and Tanwar locked horns on the issue of ticket allotment.
Tanwar was handpicked by party vice president Rahul Gandhi who desires that he accomplish the feat achieved by his Rajasthan counterpart Sachin Pilot in the just concluded assembly bypoll.
The tiff started after Hooda demanded ticket for Somveer from loharu assembly constituency whereas Tanwar wanted to field Shruti Chaudhary from this seat. Tanwar also objected to Hooda’s demand to field Anand Mahindra from Mahendergarh constituency. Tanwar had raised objections to the demand for tickets to the party leaders who were allegedly involved in change of land use controversy.
Another disgruntled leader, former Union minister and senior party leader Jai Parkash announced his decision to resign from the party and contest as an Independent from Kalyat Assembly seat in Haryana.
Unhappy over the party’s decision to ignore him in ticket allocation, Prakash claimed that the party had made up its mind to nominate Ranveer Mann from the seat.