Kuldeep Bishnoi’s ‘inner voice’ giving sleepless nights to Maken, Cong ahead of RS polls

Sulking Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi is giving anxious moments for the party and its candidate Ajay Maken, days ahead of Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana where his vote is crucial. On Friday, he said he would listen to his “antaratma” (inner voice) while voting.

The son of former Congress strongman and Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, Bishnoi has been at loggerheads with the party leadership over ignoring his claims to be the party chief in Haryana and ignoring him while taking crucial decisions.

While attending a function in Haryana’s Adampur to remember his father on his death anniversary, Bishnoi said that he will listen to his inner voice, when asked about his preference for Rajya Sabha polls.

“I have not decided on my vote. It is my duty to vote. I will listen to my inner voice and then make a decision,” Bishnoi said.

Bishnoi has not joined the Congress MLAs who were shifted to Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Thursday to safeguard party legislators from being poached. Another leader Kiran Choudhary, who is also upset with certain decisions, has also not joined other MLAs.

With Congress having 31 MLAs and need at least 30 votes, Bishnoi’s stand has put the party managers at unease, as the entry of media baron Kartikeya Sharma, who is backed by the ruling BJP and its ally BJP, has queered the pitch for Congress.

Sharma would need three or four votes from the Congress stable to win and he expects that the connections of his father Venod Sharma, who was a former Congress leader, could romp him home.