“Should Never Be Doubt…”: Congress’ Kumari Selja On Joining BJP Rumours

New Delhi:

Congress MP Kumari Selja set the record straight Monday amid rumours she is sulking and has opted to not campaign for the Haryana election – because she was not allowed to contest – telling NDTV “there should never be any doubts” about her commitment to the party and state.

Ms Selja called herself a “loyal worker…good soldier” and said she will hit campaign starting this week, telling NDTV, “It was never intended I shall remain absent (from the campaign) throughout. I will campaign… because I am a party solider. I’ve always said I am a good soldier.”

She did, however, acknowledge “there are issues… serious issues” that need to be resolved. She did not provide specifics but said the Congress senior leadership “is working on” the problems.

“I made it very clear… even before the Lok Sabha election… I want to serve the people of Haryana as a legislator rather than MP. But the general election came first. So the party decided, I decided, we all decided, that I should contest that election,” she told NDTV.

“But that didn’t mean one can’t contest the Vidhan Sabha election… there can always be a bypoll for the Lok Sabha seat. But now that is a separate issue. I wanted to contest… party didn’t allow. That is ok,” she said.

She did, though, suggest her contesting the state election would have sent a “strong message” and that the Congress could have benefitted from her candidature, but waved aside any talk of infighting, saying, “… in any case, the party will form the (state) government.”

There were rumours Kumari Selja had fallen out with the Congress’ Delhi HQ over her desire to contest the Haryana election. The 61-year-old won the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat in the April-June general election but also wanted to contest the state election, a wish that was refused.

Had she won it would have triggered a bypoll for the Lok Sabha seat, and the Congress, it is understood, is unwilling to risk losing one of its 99 seats.

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A senior Dalit leader – who has twice served as a union minister – she was seen by many as a contender for the Chief Minister’s post, if the Congress were to win next month’s election.

All of this led the BJP to declare she had been “disrespected”.

There was also an ‘invitation’, proffered by ex-Chief Minister ML Khattar, who declared “any self-respecting person” in her shoes would consider their next steps. Mr Khattar’s successor, Nayab Singh Saini, then criticised the Congress for being “anti-Dalit… for not respecting Dalits”.

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However, speaking to NDTV this afternoon Ms Selja laughed off such talk and invited the BJP, instead, to “first set their own house in order”. “How much respect do they give (to Dalits) …”

Speaking separately to news agency PTI, she quipped “maybe the BJP is more worried”.

Talk of her jumping ship was also dismissed by the Congress’ candidate for the Uchana Kalan Assembly seat, Brijendra Singh, who hit out at the BJP’s “shop of lies”.

Voting for the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8, with those from Jammu and Kashmir’s first Assembly election in a decade.

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