Haryana Democratic Front’s first foundation day a show of opposition strength in Ambala
The party recently announced its mayoral candidate, Amisha Chawla, former councillor and wife of Dilip Chawla Bittu and former media coordinator of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda
The first foundation day of the Haryana Democratic Front (HDF) turned into a show of strength as several leaders from various opposition parties, except Congress, gathered in Ambala City’s Panchayat Bhawan on Tuesday on the occasion.
The party recently announced its mayoral candidate, Amisha Chawla, former councillor and wife of Dilip Chawla Bittu and former media coordinator of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The foundation day celebrations were made grand to officially launch the party’s campaign for the upcoming municipal corporation (MC) polls in Ambala City.
Leaders from Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU-Charuni) and stalwarts from various caste-based and religious groups, who had supported HDF’s founding leaders Nirmal Singh and Chitra Sarwara in Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment during the 2019 assembly elections, were present at the event.
Both the leaders were denied tickets by Congress, who then decided to contest as independents, securing the runner-up position on their respective seats.
Speaking at the occasion, HDF founder and president Nirmal Singh called for support to make separate political issues and development agenda for North Haryana. “North Haryana, with 27 MLAs, has been neglected for five decades. There has been considerable discrimination in terms of jobs as well as development. Even after 54 years, no leader of North Haryana could sit on the CM’s chair,” he said.
North Haryana’s ‘own leader’
Nirmal has been trying to project himself as North Haryana’s “own leader”, in contrast to former CM Hooda, whom he was close to before the 2019 assembly polls.
He said that the HDF will make a strong entry in the elections of the municipal council, zilla parishad and MC, and thereafter in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections as well.
The absence of senior party leader Himmat Singh at the event, however, raised several questions. Singh was absent at the presser on Sunday as well, when the party announced its mayoral candidate and gave him important responsibility as the head of a screening committee for those seeking HDF ticket in MC polls.
Chitra Sarwara told the Hindustan Times that Himmat Singh was busy and had informed her that he was out of station. Nirmal, on the other hand, denied any knowledge of the matter.
Former general secretary of the Youth Congress, Himmat Singh, was also reportedly seeking a Congress ticket from Ambala City in the previous elections, but was denied and later joined Nirmal Singh.
HDF also inaugurated its first party office next to the Panchayat Bhawan and announced its official website along with social media handles at the event.