The rift between Congress heavyweights Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja is causing quite a stir in Haryana, and it could derail the party’s hopes of returning to power after a ten-year slump. Selja is fuming over the ticket distribution and has decided to pull back from campaigning. In fact, the last time she was seen out and about was when she accompanied a candidate for nomination—eleven days ago! Her biggest pain point is that she couldn’t secure tickets for her loyal supporters in her Lok Sabha constituency, Sirsa, where she won by a staggering 262,000 votes just a few months ago. Her absence is reportedly causing concern among Dalit voters, who were just starting to lean towards Congress, thanks to the party’s aggressive push for pro-reservation policies.In light of this mess, Rahul Gandhi has stepped in to try and mend fences. He has tasked Ashok Gehlot, the party’s election in-charge for Haryana, with convincing Selja to get back in the game. Plus, party treasurer Ajay Maken, who was in charge of screening candidates, has also been asked to reach out to her. Rahul’s message is clear: the party must present a united front, and factionalism isn’t an option. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP is eager to capitalise on the divide. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked Selja to quit Congress and join his party. Sources close to Selja ruled out the possibility of her leaving the party. However, the Congress internecine fight is sure to impact the party’s electoral performance in the state.
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