Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Kumari Selja
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is finally hitting the Haryana election campaign from Thursday by addressing addressing rallies in Assandh and Barwala, where the party is expected to project unity within, as the central leadership has managed an uneasy truce among warring leaders.
Kumari Selja, who has been keeping away from the campaign, will join Rahul’s rally along with her inner-party ally Randeep Surjewala and bête noire Bhupinder Hooda, amid poll managers indicating that the factional war has been impacting the cadre and electioneering.
The temporary truce came after Selja met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday for a long meeting to hear her grievances and on Tuesday on her birthday. Selja has announced her decision to restart her campaign but has minced no words in public about her antipathy towards Hooda.
On Wednesday, she posted on ‘X’ her campaign plans for Thursday, which includes Rahul’s rally and three other public meetings in Tohana and Hisar. Rahul is expected to campaign in Haryana for another three days.
Amid questions about the absence of star campaigners Rahul and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Haryana, a section in the party claimed that they were holding back their top guns for the final push but sources indicated that Rahul was upset with the way electioneering was managed.
Incidentally, Rahul was not present at the launch of seven guarantees for Haryana on September 18 though he was in the national capital with sources saying that he was not happy with the way the manifesto is being formulated.
He was of the view that there was no process and guarantees were announced prior to the formal launch by state leaders at their whims and fancies. No reason was given for his absence from the launch, which was attended by Kharge.
Like in Karnataka or Himachal Pradesh, sources said the party has not managed to create a narrative and Rahul believes that it was due to lack of consultations.
Rahul was also upset with the way factionalism intensified after candidate selection with Selja keeping off campaign for almost two weeks while Surjewala was restricted to a few pockets.
Before leaving for the United States earlier this month, he had asked the leadership to reconvene a Central Election Committee meeting, which had completed its exercise, to address concerns of Selja and Surjewala. He was also not happy with the Hooda camp for not being accommodative.
Assembly Elections 2024 | In the first assembly polls since the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi and the BJP face a rejuvenated and vindicated Opposition in the Haryana assembly polls. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir is voting after almost a decade and it remains to be seen how the abrogation of Article 370 has impacted the political landscape of the Valley. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.