With just days left in the Haryana assembly polls, the infighting within the state unit has increased the problems for Congress. Many party rebels, unhappy over ticket distribution, are looking to fight the polls as independent. On Saturday, Congress expelled eight leaders including five former MLAs, citing their involvement in anti-party activities. Till now a total of 24 leaders have been removed from the party by the state leadership in a bid to deter others from going against it.
The Congress party has expelled several rebels, many of whom have previously faced action for anti-party activities. However, after some time, they were taken back into the Congress. After their expulsion, these rebels are now standing against the official candidates of the party in the electoral battle.
CM Saini's Ladwa Seat Witnesses Competition
While the BJP has claimed that it has managed to deter most of its rebels from the electoral battlefield, social activist Sandeep Garg, who is contesting in Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s constituency, Ladwa, has become a major cause of concern for the party.
Garg has claimed that he is under immense pressure to step down from the election, but it is the people who have pushed him to stand. He has even alleged that attempts are being made to intimidate him using government machinery.
Sharda Rathore, Rohita Rewari Expelled From Congress
Haryana Congress Committee President Chaudhary Udaybhan on Saturday, with the consent of the high command, removed former MLA of Ballabhgarh, Sharda Rathore, and former MLA from Panipat City Assembly seat, Rohita Rewari, from the Congress citing anti-party activities.
Sharda Rathore had previously served as the Chief Parliamentary Secretary in the Congress government of Haryana and was a strong contender for the Ballabhgarh ticket. Manoj Agarwal, from the Kumari Selja faction, was also vying for the ticket, but the Congress high command gave the ticket to Parag Sharma. Following this, Sharda Rathore’s statement on social media that Congress was distributing tickets based on 'skin and money' went viral.