Former Chief Minister and Congress star campaigner in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the BJP had already admitted its defeat, especially following former Chief Minister Manohar Lal’s offer to congress MP Kumari Selja to join the BJP.
Responding to BJP leaders’ statements that Selja is dissatisfied with the Congress and distancing herself to the poll campaign, Hooda praised her as a senior and responsible leader of the party.
He urged voters to support the Congress candidates, confidently stating that the Congress is poised to form a majority government in Haryana. He also criticised Opposition parties, claiming they have failed to connect with the people.
Highlighting the public’s discontent with the BJP-JJP rule over the past decade, Hooda asserted that the upcoming Congress government would genuinely represent the people’s needs. He contrasted this with the current administration’s failure to address citizens’ concerns.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Amit Shah also on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, calling it an “anti-Dalit” party and said it “insulted” Dalit leaders like Kumari Selja and Ashok Tanwar.
The ruling BJP has been targeting the Congress over Dalit leader Selja staying away from the poll campaign. Recently, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had invited Selja to join the BJP amid reports that she was staying away from the campaign for the Assembly polls.
However, refuting the BJP campaign that Selja was sulking, party general secretary Randeep Surjewala said on Monday that she will campaign for the party and address a public meeting in Narwana this week. In a post on X, Surjewala said Selja would address a public meeting in Narwana on September 26 and would campaign for the Congress.
Selja was learnt to be upset after the party gave a free hand to her bete noire and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in ticket distribution, with most candidates who got the tickets being loyalists of the two-time former CM.
Hooda’s loyalists had also been accommodated on the majority of the 17 reserve (SC) seats. Selja, a former Union Minister and a prominent Dalit face of the party, enjoys a good support base in many districts including Sirsa, Ambala and Hisar.
Recently, many BJP leaders have been targeting the Congress over alleged disrespect being meted out to Selja, whose last campaign was in support of party candidates Shamsher Singh Gogi and Shalley Chaudhary on September 11. Selja was also conspicuous by her absence at the event in Delhi where the Congress released its manifesto.
