Haryana Polls: Congress candidate list dominated by CM Hooda loyalists, Haryana election news updates, Haryana political news, latest and political news 2014
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- Category: Haryana News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 21:04
Haryana Polls 2014: Congress candidate list dominated by CM Hooda loyalists
NEW DELHI: As the Congress is all set to announce its candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has managed to pack almost the entire pack with his loyalists, leaving all other senior party funtionaries from the state and their camps seething with anger. Both the AICC screening committee and central election committee (CEC) meetings witnessed an aggressive Hooda refusing to accommodate the other camps.
The manner in which Hooda dominated the entire candidates' selection process with the AICC panels simply playing supporting role to him has made some in the CEC privately compare it to how former AP CM late YS Rajashekaraa Reddy had made the party affairs in his state a one-leader affair. The fact that Hooda has been the CM for 10 years, controlling and distributing all resources and commanding unchecked clout, even the AICC establishment seems to have simply caved into his push for getting his nominee the lion's share of tickets. Also Read : 25 candidates file nominations for Haryana polls
Informed sources said almost 90% per cent of the Congress candidates' list will have the stamp of Hooda's patronage. While some of the anti-Hooda senior Congressmen such as Birender Singh and Avtar Singh Badana have already quit, the CM has also refused to give any presentable accommodation to the supporters of remaining senior Congressmen such as Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewalla, PCC chief Ashok Tanwar, Ajay Yadav and Kiran Chaudhury. The Youth Congress, citing the patronage of Rahul Gandhi, had sent a list of 24 names ( 12 for 'A' category sure seats and another 12 for 'B' category seats ) to be given party tickets.
In the last round of CEC meeting, the Youth Congress list has been cut down to just "eight priority seats". While Kumari Selja is locked in a last-ditched battle to resist Hooda's push to deny tickets to her two closest supporters - sitting MLAs from Sudhanra and Selwal seats -- PCC chief Tanwar has been reduced to plead with leadership to ensure tickers for three of his supporters from his Sirsa area.
While Surjewalla camp too is getting just a token representation in the list, Kiran Chaudhury's push for a seat for her daughter Shruti is being vetoed by Hooda. Ajay Yadav, for all his recent support to Hooda, could just get a seat for his son. The Congress list, sources said, could also indicate Hooda's plan for striking an unpublicised tacit understanding with the Kuldeep Bishnoi's HVP and Venod Sharma HJCP.