Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Kumari Selja, a prominent Dalit face, has ruled out any possibility of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In an exclusive interview with AajTak, Selja said that the saffron party is a 'declining force' in Haryana and that she will be loyal to the Congress.
On Sunday, Union Minister and former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar asked Selja to join the saffron party. His offer came after she stayed away from the campaign amid reports of disappointment within the Haryana Congress.
Currently, the Haryana Congress is divided into two camps, one is led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda while the other faction is headed by Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala. While Hooda seems to be a natural choice for the chief minister's post, Selja has expressed her desire to take up the top post. Addressing a gathering in Gharaunda, Khattar said there was so much infighting there in the Haryana Congress and there was no clarity about their chief ministerial face. "There is a fight between the father and the son (Bhupinder and Deepender Hooda). The father says he will become the CM while the son says he will...there is our Dalit sister sitting at home. A large section of people are today thinking about what they should do. Many people were upset with them and we brought them into the party fold. We are ready with an offer and if (she) comes, we are ready to induct her," Khattar said.
When asked about whether Selja will join the BJP, Khattar said it was a world of possibilities and possibilities cannot be ruled out and therefore, "everything will be known when the right time comes".
Today, Selja said she does not need any advice from anyone and that she won't join the saffron party ever. On the chief minister's pick, the Congress leader said that this has not been decided yet and the final call will be taken by the high command. Selja, however, said that she wanted to contest assembly polls.
Reports suggest growing tensions within the Haryana Congress over the distribution of tickets in the state. Selja is reportedly dissatisfied after securing only 13 of the 90 tickets, including those for sitting MLAs, in a state with 17 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
According to ThePrint, Selja had initially sought 30 to 35 tickets for her faction during the distribution process. However, the Congress high command ultimately awarded 72 tickets to the camp led by Bhupinder Hooda. Selja's frustration intensified when her close ally, Dr Ajay Chaudhary, was denied a ticket for the Narnaund assembly constituency.
Tensions escalated further after a casteist remark was made by a Congress worker against Selja during the nomination event of Jassi Petwad, the party’s candidate for Narnaund. This incident has reportedly angered Selja's supporters and created discontent within the Dalit community, adding to the party’s internal challenges.