Congress MP Kumari Selja on Friday said that the party will decide about the Chief Minister candidate if it wins the Haryana Assembly elections, but stressed that the she cannot be ignore by the high command. She also dismissed reports of rift with the Congress and reiterated her commitment to the party.
Selja has been in headlines ever since rumours of her possible switch to the BJP surfaced. It was being said that she was miffed with the Congress over the Haryana Assembly polls seat distribution and the preference being given to Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
In an interview to news agency ANI, the senior Congress leader seemed hopeful that the party will not be able to ignore her if it decides the CM's pick based on seniority, work done, and polictical decisions taken.
"...It is only for the high command to answer and they will have to decide (about the CM candidate). There will be some people in the consideration zone and I think Selja will be among them. The high command will look at seniority, work and all these things, so the high command will not ignore Selja in this. My commitment to the party has never been in question, this is one thing they know and they are sure of..."
Addressing the speculations surrounding her possible switch to the BJP, she said: "Selja will not go anywhere, why would Selja go? In Delhi a lot of rumours get circulated, Delhi is different like that but the people in my region know me well," she told ANI.
Earlier, the remarks of a few BJP leaders had triggered rumours of Kumari Selja leaving the Congress over not being given the due respect. However she had dismissed the switch speculation and reiterated that she would remain a Congressperson.
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She also expressed confidence in the work Congress has done ahead of the Haryana elections. She said: "The situation of Congress is really good right now. Work has been done, Rahul Gandhi has also worked, and the Congress president also visited Haryana. Rahul's yatra really made a difference."
Selja reacted to former Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar rejoining Congress amid rumours of infighting in the BJP. She said: "I was already told about it."
Tanwar had switched to the grand old party from the BJP just an hour after he was spotted campaigning for the saffron camp in Haryana. He had joined BJP just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, but had lost to Selja in Sirsa.
The Congress MP also reiterated her commitment to the party and debunked the rumours of joining the BJP. She said "Selja toh Congress hai".
Responding to whether a Dalit leader was being neglected in Congress, she said: "Nobody can be the whole and sole leader of someone but the community watches what happens with their leader...So, every community has its expectations. All of this is part of politics. Joining is also part of politics...Selja kabhi nahi gayi, na jaati hai...Why would Selja go? Delhi is a hub where a lot of illogical things go around...But people of my state know me well...Selja toh Congressi hai. I am not upset with Congress..."
She stressed that she was receiving respect from her party and that there was "no doubt about it".
"I am not upset with Congress. A lot of discussions happen, and several situations come up...These keep happening... Sammaan toh hai. There is no doubt about it. There is position, there is respect. Many a time, some things happen that make people feel that full respect wasn't accorded...Politics is the game of perception...Nobody can get 100% tickets, it would not have been possible...It is the party's internal matter...I too am a part of the party and so are others," she added.
Haryana elections will be held on October 5 to elect its 90-member state legislative assembly. The counting set to take place on October 8. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, securing 40 seats, while Congress bagged 30 seats.