Congress MP Kumari Selja has confirmed she is a contender for the post of Chief Minister – if her party wins the 2024 Haryana Assembly election. Speaking to NDTV Ms Selja smiled and said, “Yes. I am among the contenders to be Chief Minister… but the final decision is with the party high command.”
Ms Selja also said the people of Haryana “know their future is (with the) Congress”. “The electorate looks at their future… and they know their future is Congress,” she said Tuesday morning, confident that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and effort by workers on the ground will translate into a win.
On her party’s chances of upsetting the Bharatiya Janata Party – which is bidding for, and closing in on, a third consecutive win in the Hindi heartland state – Ms Selja said, “It is natural to have fatigue (referring to the anti-incumbency vote)… there was also the BJP’s misrule. That was a big factor.”
The Congress had raced into an early lead as postal ballots and early votes were counted, but it was soon pegged back, with the ruling party then crossing the halfway mark soon after.
READ | BJP Surges Ahead In Haryana Thriller, Congress Pauses Celebrations
The party, though, remains confident it will eventually prevail. Ms Selja said, “As counting progresses, we will win more than 60 Assembly seats and Congress will form the government.”
The race to form the Haryana government is, of course, the big story.
Kumari Selja vs Bhupinder Hooda?
But there is a subplot within 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 third term; he made it clear he is “neither tired nor retired” but also said the party HQ, and its elected MLAs, will take the call.
Ms Selja – who won the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat in the April-June election – was earlier more circumspect, having told NDTV last month, “Why should I ‘stake claim’? Why should it be about ‘staking claim’?”
READ | “Haryana Can Give Me Space”: Kumari Selja, Day After Exit Polls
She suggested the choice should reflect “who works hard and is committed to the people”.
Kumari Selja Unhappy?
There was significant buzz in Haryana political circles last month after Ms Selja seemed to be in a funk; a prominent state leader with influence over the Dalit vote, she delayed campaigning for the party.
There was speculation she was unhappy with the way candidates were chosen; these seemed to favour loyalists of Bhupinder Hooda. She was also unhappy, it was said, at being taken for granted.
One of the issues flagged was that Ms Selja had made it clear she wanted to contest the state poll, but that was overruled by the party HQ and she was fielded from (and won) the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat.
She later told NDTV, “I wanted to contest… party didn’t allow. That is ok…”, but then warned of “issues… serious issues” that need to be resolved within the Congress’ state unit.
“It was never intended I shall remain absent (from the campaign) throughout. I will campaign…” she also said, “…because I am a party solider. I’ve always said I am a good soldier.”
All of this led the BJP to declare she had been “disrespected”.
There was also an ‘invitation’, proffered by ex-Chief Minister ML Khattar, who declared “any self-respecting person” in her shoes would consider their next steps.
However, in the same interview with NDTV Ms Selja laughed off such talk and invited the BJP, instead, to “first set their own house in order”. “How much respect do they give (to Dalits) …”
What Hooda Said
Last week Mr Hooda dismissed “hypothetical questions” and underlined his position on the chief ministerial race – that the final decision will be taken by the Congress’ central leadership.
But more telling was his response to a question on Kumari Selja becoming the Congress’ next Haryana Chief Minister. “This is a democracy… everybody should aspire. But the MLAs will decide…” he said.
Bhupinder Hooda is seen by many as having the Congress’ Delhi leaders’ tacit backing.
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