Congress hits out at critics, asks partymen to unite before elections

Panchkula, Aug 8: Hit by infighting and criticism from within, Congress on Friday lashed out at those levelling allegations of discrimination in development by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led

government, and asked party workers to work unitedly for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Congress general secretary and in-charge of political affairs in Haryana, Shakeel Ahmed said those accusing the state government of "regional bias" never cited statistics.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh, state minister Ajay Yadav, former partymen Rao Inderjit Singh and Avtar Singh Bhadana among others had attacked Hooda for alleged lopsided development and "ignoring" certain regions at the cost of other areas. "Such people (leveling accusations of regional bias) never made their complaints along with statistics," he said.

Addressing over 1,200 Congress workers who have applied for tickets to contest on 90 Assembly seats going to polls before October, he said every worker is important for the party, but those deprived of tickets should not feel they have been ignored.

1,200 Congress workers have applied for tickets to contest the polls

He urged the party workers to set aside differences and work together to ensure victory of the Congress in the ensuing Assembly elections. Commending Hooda for the "welfare measures" implemented during his consecutive stints as Chief Minister, Ahmed said programmes and policies for all sections and region of Haryana were made in the last over nine years.

Speaking on the occasion, Hooda said a state-level rally would be organised at Panipat on August 24 to present the "report card" of the "number of development works" undertaken by the state government during the last 10 years.

He urged the party high command to take a call on allocation of party tickets after the rally, and exuded confidence of Congress forming the government for the third consecutive term in the state.

Asking applicants to suggest the name of another party worker also, he said workers should support those the party gives tickets and also mentioned that all sitting MLAs may not get tickets.

Lashing out at his detractors, Hooda said they themselves indulged in regionalism and were trying to hide their own failures.

PTI