Internal strife has intensified within the Congress party in Haryana, which secured a victory in the Rajya Sabha elections by a narrow margin of just 0.34 votes. Bhupinder Singh Hooda Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and former Chief Minister has submitted to the Congress High Command the names of nine party MLAs whose votes were either invalidated or cast as cross votes.
After seeking explanations from these MLAs individually, the Congress High Command may show them the door. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is known for taking tough decisions.
Given this context, there is a strong possibility that strict action will be taken against the MLAs who betrayed the Congress party. In a related development, Ram Kishan Gurjar, the Working President of the Haryana Congress, has voluntarily quit the party. Ram Kishan Gurjar is the husband of Shaili Chaudhary, the MLA from Naraingarh, whose name has surfaced in connection with the cross-voting controversy.
It is highly probable that these nine tainted and rebellious Congress MLAs are mentally prepared for by-elections. Should the Congress party decide to take any punitive action, they have an open avenue to switch allegiance to the BJP.
Five MLAs Engaged In Cross Voting
In the Rajya Sabha elections, five Congress MLAs engaged in cross-voting, while the votes of four other MLAs were invalidated. Had the BJP’s strategy succeeded completely, the combined tally of MLAs who cross-voted or caused their votes to be invalidated could have exceeded a dozen.
Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has indicated that he is aware of the names of the MLAs who cross-voted; however, out of courtesy, he is refraining from publicly disclosing these names. The Congress High Command has been apprised of all these names.
Ram Kishan Gurjar Bids Farewell To The Party
Meanwhile, Ram Kishan Gurjar the Working President of the Haryana Congress and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary has bid farewell to the Congress party. He submitted his resignation to State President Rao Narendra Singh on Tuesday morning. Ram Kishan Gurjar is the husband of Shaili Chaudhary, the Congress MLA from Naraingarh.
Shaili Chaudhary’s name is reportedly included in the list of MLAs who engaged in cross voting. Apart from Shaili Chaudhary, the names of Renubala, Mohammad Israil, Mohammad Ilyas, and Jarnail Singh are also being cited in the list of Congress MLAs who engaged in cross voting.
The names of the MLAs whose votes were declared invalid are known to the party in-charge, B.K. Hariprasad, and the Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda; however, these names are not being made public. Their names have, nonetheless, been forwarded to the Congress High Command.
Those Who Betray The Party Will Not Be Spared: Deepender Hooda
Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda, who closely monitored the Congress MLAs throughout the Rajya Sabha elections, has stated that no MLA who betrays the party will be spared. He added that even the future generations of such MLAs would remember their actions.
Deepender Singh Hooda’s assertive stance makes it evident that he intends to push for disciplinary action against those MLAs who worked against the official Congress candidate and aided the BJP backed independent candidate. Among the MLAs accused of cross-voting or deliberately invalidating their votes, some are affiliated with the Hooda camp itself, while the majority are counted among the MLAs belonging to the anti-Hooda faction. By initiating action against these MLAs, the Hooda camp aims to target its political rivals.
Ramkishan Gurjar: Kin Of Union Minister Of State Krishan Pal Gurjar
Ramkishan Gurjar a former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) who recently resigned from his post as the Working President of the Haryana Congress is connected to Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar through a matrimonial alliance: Shaili Chaudhary’s younger daughter is married to Utkarsh Chaudhary, the nephew of Krishan Pal Gurjar. It was through this familial connection that the BJP reportedly devised a strategy to poach votes from the Congress party.
However, Shaili Chaudhary remained consistently with her fellow Congress MLAs and even stayed with them in Himachal Pradesh for three days. According to sources, Ramkishan Gurjar is expected to quit the party first. Subsequently, Shaili Chaudhary will decide her next course of action based on the Congress party’s response. If the Congress party expels Shaili, her status as an MLA could remain secure; however, if she chooses to resign from the party voluntarily, she would face disqualification.
She has reportedly been assured of a BJP ticket in the event that a by-election becomes necessary. Ram Kishan Gurjar, who served as the Chief Parliamentary Secretary during the Hooda administration, was implicated in the suicide case of a journalist in Naraingarh. In this case, the Sessions Court has sentenced Gurjar to four years of imprisonment. He is currently out on bail granted by the High Court. Due to his involvement in the case, Gurjar did not contest the 2019 Assembly elections and instead ensured the victory of his wife, Shaili Chaudhary.
He has received an assurance of securing a ticket from the BJP in the event of a by-election. Ram Kishan Gurjar, who served as the Chief Parliamentary Secretary during the Hooda administration, was implicated in the suicide case of a journalist in Naraingarh. In this case, the Sessions Court has sentenced Gurjar to four years of imprisonment. He is currently out on bail granted by the High Court. Due to his involvement in the case, Gurjar did not contest the 2019 Assembly elections; instead, he successfully campaigned for his wife, Shelly Chaudhary, ensuring her victory.
MLAs Who Cross Voted Will Not Be Spared
“We will take the strictest possible action against those MLAs who engaged in cross-voting. The Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and I possess the names of all those involved. Action will be initiated against them under the party’s disciplinary code. The BJP made every possible attempt to poach our MLAs; we even possess recordings to substantiate this.” B.K. Hariprasad, In-charge, Haryana Congress
