Congress MP Kumari Selja has confirmed she is within the chief ministerial race – if her occasion wins the 2024 Haryana election, which seems unlikely at the moment. Nevertheless, a smiling Ms Selja instructed NDTV, “Yes. I’m amongst contenders to be Chief Minister… however the last choice is with the occasion excessive command.”
Ms Selja additionally mentioned the folks of Haryana “know their future is (with the) Congress”. “The citizens seems at their future… they usually know their future is Congress,” she mentioned Tuesday morning, assured that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and energy by staff on the bottom will translate right into a win.
On her occasion’s probabilities of upsetting the Bharatiya Janata Party – which is bidding for, and shutting in on, a 3rd consecutive win within the Hindi heartland state – Ms Selja mentioned, “It is pure to have fatigue (referring to the anti-incumbency vote)… there was additionally the BJP’s misrule. That was a giant issue.”
The Congress had raced into an early lead as postal ballots and early votes had been counted.
However, the occasion was quickly pegged again, with its fierce rival then crossing the midway mark quickly after after which stretching its legs to cross, after which hover round, the 50 seat-mark in leads.
READ | BJP Surges Ahead In Haryana Thriller, Congress Pauses Celebrations
The occasion, although, stays assured it’ll finally prevail. Ms Selja mentioned, “As counting progresses, we’ll win greater than 60 Assembly seats and Congress will kind the federal government.”
The race to kind the Haryana authorities is, after all, the large story.
Kumari Selja vs Bhupinder Hooda?
But there’s a subplot throughout the Congress camp, with senior leaders Ms Selja and Bhupinder Hooda going head-to-head to be named Chief Minister. Mr Hooda is raring for a 3rd time period; he made it clear he’s “neither drained nor retired” but in addition mentioned the occasion HQ, and its elected MLAs, will take the decision.
Ms Selja – who gained the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat within the April-June election – was earlier extra circumspect, having instructed NDTV final month, “Why ought to I ‘stake declare’? Why ought to or not it’s about ‘staking declare’?”
READ | “Haryana Can Give Me Space”: Kumari Selja, Day After Exit Polls
She steered then the selection ought to mirror “who works exhausting and is dedicated to the folks”.
This morning she was maybe the extra assured of the 2 Congress leaders, even when the occasion itself appears set to fall to a 3rd Haryana ballot defeat. Mr Hooda additionally spoke to NDTV, insisting the Congress will bounce again to say victory however his physique language – often assertive – appeared to betray him.
READ | Congress Winning, Says Bhupinder Hooda, But Body Language Says…
To a query on the chief ministerial race he mentioned, once more, the occasion would resolve.
“The Congress goes to kind the federal government. Only two or three rounds of counting have been accomplished and the experiences we’re getting are saying we could have a majority,” he mentioned in Hindi.
Kumari Selja Unhappy?
There was important buzz in Haryana political circles final month after Ms Selja gave the impression to be in a funk; a outstanding state chief with affect over the Dalit vote, she delayed campaigning for the occasion.
There was hypothesis she was sad with the way in which candidates had been chosen; these appeared to favour loyalists of Bhupinder Hooda. She was additionally sad, it was mentioned, at being taken with no consideration.
One of the problems flagged was that Ms Selja had made it clear she wished to contest the state ballot, however that was overruled by the occasion HQ and he or she was fielded from (and gained) the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat.
She later instructed NDTV, “I wished to contest… occasion did not enable. That is okay…”, however then warned of “points… severe points” that must be resolved throughout the Congress’ state unit.
“It was by no means supposed I shall stay absent (from the marketing campaign) all through. I’ll marketing campaign…” she additionally mentioned, “…as a result of I’m a celebration solider. I’ve at all times mentioned I’m an excellent soldier.”
All of this led the BJP to declare she had been “disrespected” and an ‘invitation’ to hitch was proffered by ex-Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. However, Ms Selja laughed off such speak and invited the BJP, as an alternative, to “first set their very own home so as”. “How a lot respect do they offer (to Dalits) …”
What Hooda Said
Last week Mr Hooda dismissed “hypothetical questions” and underlined his place on the chief ministerial race – that the ultimate choice can be taken by the Congress’ central management.
But extra telling was his response to a query on Kumari Selja changing into the Congress’ subsequent Haryana Chief Minister. “This is a democracy… all people ought to aspire. But the MLAs will resolve…” he mentioned.
The reference to MLAs deciding is vital as a result of a majority of them are understood to be loyal to the previous Chief Minister, Ms Selja has already mentioned it’s “not wholesome” for state lawmakers to be concerned within the choice of a Chief Minister; “I feel the ‘excessive command’ ought to resolve, in any other case folks get tied down and that, I really feel, additionally results in additional factionalism,” she instructed NDTV this week.
Hooda Over Sellja?
Overall Mr Hooda is seen as having the Congress’ tacit backing – a truth necessitated, maybe, by the affect he wields within the state – and the occasion has tried to dealer a take care of Selja Kumari.
In truth, the measure of his affect, sources steered to NDTV, is that he stopped the occasion from allying with the Aam Aadmi Party for this election. The AAP and Congress – allied beneath the INDIA bloc for the overall election – had all however reached a deal for this ballot too, just for state leaders to veto.
READ | AAP-Congress Pre-Poll Alliance Failed In Haryana. This Is Why
As far as that goes, it seems they had been proper; the AAP has didn’t open its account in Haryana.
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