Haryana Assembly Election: Congress Faces Internal Rift Over Poll List

Following the pattern of internal dissent experienced by the BJP after releasing its list of candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections, the Congress is now grappling with similar discontent.

A day after the party unveiled its first list of 32 candidates, senior Congress leader Rajesh Joon resigned from all party posts, declaring his intention to contest the Bahadurgarh seat as an Independent.

Photo Credit: PTI

Rajesh Joon expressed his displeasure, saying, "The Congress leadership cheated me. I was promised a ticket but the promise was not kept. I will become an MLA by polling double the number of votes that the Congress candidate gets."

His resignation was prompted by the renomination of sitting MLA Rajinder Singh Joon from Bahadurgarh, which triggered a familiar rebellion.

In 2019, both Rajesh Joon and another leader had rebelled after Rajinder Singh Joon was given the ticket for the same constituency. They withdrew their nominations only after former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda intervened.

The Congress' first list of candidates includes key figures like Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state unit chief Udai Bhan, and wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat. However, the party now faces the challenge of managing internal disputes, with leaders like Rajesh Joon openly defying the central leadership.

The Congress, buoyed by winning 5 of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, aims to oust the ruling BJP. However, these internal cracks may impact its ability to capitalize on BJP's own troubles.

Congress also faces resistance within the party regarding a potential alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with Rahul Gandhi advocating for a tie-up to prevent vote division.

An in-principle agreement has been announced, but there's a stalemate over the number of seats AAP will contest. While AAP demands 10 seats, Congress has only offered five to seven.

On the other side, the BJP, too, is facing rebellion after announcing its list of 67 candidates. Energy Minister Ranjit Chautala and MLA Lakshman Napa resigned from the party after being denied tickets.

Chautala, son of the prominent Haryana leader Chaudhary Devi Lal, stated he would run as an Independent. Napa, meanwhile, announced his decision to join the Congress. Additionally, BJP MLA Shashi Ranjan Parmar was seen in tears after his name was excluded from the list.

As Haryana heads toward voting on October 5, both major parties face internal friction, which may impact their prospects in the elections. Counting will take place on October 8.