Congress High Command to have final say on CM candidate: Kumari Selja on Haryana Assembly polls

New Delhi [India], October 3 (ANI): Congress MP Kumari Selja has made it clear that the party’s high command will decide on the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Haryana assembly polls. This statement comes amidst speculation about potential candidates, including Selja herself, who is a prominent Dalit face of the party in the State.

In an interview with ‘The Lallantop’, the Rajya Sabha MP has also indirectly indicated that both former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as well as his son and party leader Deepender Hooda are potential Chief Ministerial candidates.

“I cannot say anything about it. Party high command will decide the CM candidate. It’s not correct to say that I want to become the chief minister. My supporters want me to become the CM while those who support Bhupinder Hooda or his son want them to become the CM.The decision, however is not upto the supporters. Talks are underway for the CM candidature,” Kumari Selja said.

The former Congress Haryana chief further sought to know why it was necessary for her to advocate her own name for the CM candidacy and why others do not recommend after seeing her hard work.

“We are the players, we have worked hard. After so many years, should I be shy of saying this? Why should Selja’s name not be included by you or by anyone else? Why should Selja say it by herself?” the 61-year-old Congress leader asked.

Meanwhile, amid the reported rivalry between Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja’s faction about the party’s candidate for the chief minister, the Congress leader said that it has been a long time since she spoke with LoP Hooda.

The Congress MP said that after leaving the party presidency, she had almost stopped talking to him.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to Bhupinder Singh Hooda. It’s not about the bad political relationship, it’s like I was in Delhi and he was in Haryana. After that, I was the PCC president, and he was the CLP leader. At that time we used to talk. Before that, from 2014 to 2019, we also used to talk. After quitting the party presidency, we almost stopped talking,” she said.

When asked about the political prospects of Congress in Haryana and who is responsible for how the party will fare, Selja said that it is not one or two prominent faces but a variety of factors that contribute to the standing of the party.

“Neither you nor I alone can create a conducive environment for the Congress. Some faces are important, but various other factors should also be considered. It’s not about the political fight, and it’s not only in our party. In every organisation, such groups exist that have tensions between them,” the Congress MP said.

Kumari Selja had recently scotched speculation of her joining Bharatiya Janata Party and said she will remain steadfast in her loyalty to the Congress, a party she said which she owes for for whatever she is today. BJP leaders had accused the Congress of not giving due regard to Kumari Selja.

Haryana will go to the polls on October 5 to elect its 90-member state legislative assembly, with counting set to take place on October 8. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, securing 40 seats, while Congress won 30 seats.