As polling nears for the Haryana assembly elections, the division within the Congress is getting magnified further, bringing cheer for the BJP which is taking advantage of the Grand Old Party’s internal tussle.
BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi and Congress of faking concern for Dalits and backwards, with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini saying at a rally: “Kumari Selja-ji should be careful. The party has humiliated her and is anti-Dalit.”
While Bhupinder Hooda has made it clear that no insult to Selja would be tolerated, both he and the Congress are aware that in a state with multiple parties and groups, where caste rules, even a small swing could hurt the party’s chances of forming the government.
Dalit votes make up about 20 per cent of Haryana’s voters, which means the Grand Old Party cannot afford to ignore Selja of all people.
Sources say Selja met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and communicated to him that both she and Randeep Surjewala were upset with the fact that the election campaign seemed to be all about the Hoodas. Sources say the leaders were assured that they too would be given importance. Following this, Surjewala made a statement on X to say he and Selja would resume campaigning soon.
But, has the damage been done already? The worry is more at the national level — the more BJP, and to a certain extent BSP, label the Congress as paying just lip service to the Dalit cause, the more will Rahul Gandhi’s pitch for Dalit and backward caste empowerment be hurt.
To make matters worse, two-time MLA from the state, Sharda Rathore, has now suggested that tickets were distributed on the basis of ‘chamri’ and ‘damri’ (skin colour and money). The BJP was quick to allege that Congress had a “casting couch” to decide tickets. Congress sources denied the allegations, with wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat asking News18: “Do I look like Aishwarya Rai? Looks don’t matter, nor does skin. In our party, tickets are given on the basis of ability.”
In both Karnataka and Telangana, Rahul Gandhi had to step in to ensure unity. This is expected in Haryana too. But given the many high-profile leaders and egos, it could be just a lid. In case Congress forms the government, the internal tussle could just be an explosion waiting to happen. If Selja is overlooked for the top job, the party would have to answer many questions. Even Surjewala’s son Aditya, who is contesting from Kaithal, has said his father should be the chief minister. But standing up to the Hoodas is easier said than done.
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