Amid growing speculations over who will be the Congress's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, senior party leader and Lok Sabha member Kumari Selja asserted that the final decision will rest with the party's high command.
“It is my wish (to contest the Haryana assembly elections) but the final decision will be of party high command,” Congress MP Kumari Selja said a day after the Congress told its MPs that they will not be allowed to contest the Haryana Assembly polls.
“Being a true soldier of the Congress, I can tell you that the one who gets the blessings of the high command becomes the chief minister. There may be many contenders but the final approval will be of the high command,” Selja told ANI.
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The Congress is grappling with positioning among its senior leaders, all vying for prominence in the electoral fray.
Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his son Deepender Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala are seen by many as the contenders for the top job. While Selja and Deepender Hooda are members of the Lok Sabha, Surjewala is a member of the Rajya Sabha. Bhupinder Hooda is the leader of the opposition in the Haryana Assembly.
{{/usCountry}}Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his son Deepender Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala are seen by many as the contenders for the top job. While Selja and Deepender Hooda are members of the Lok Sabha, Surjewala is a member of the Rajya Sabha. Bhupinder Hooda is the leader of the opposition in the Haryana Assembly.
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Despite the Congress's attempts to maintain a collective leadership approach, the jockeying for the chief ministerial position has created an undercurrent of competition among the party’s senior leaders in the state.
What Congress said on MPs contesting Assembly elections
Earlier in the day, Congress General Secretary in charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria, hinted at a possibility that members of Parliament who wish to be considered for the chief ministerial role could "throw their hat in the ring" after the elections, provided they have the backing of the legislature party.
“I am sure no MPs will be contesting the assembly elections. They are already MPs and anybody who wants to be the CM face, they can throw their hat in the ring post-election results provided they have the support of the legislature party.”
The Election Commission earlier this month announced that polls for the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 1 and the results declared on October 4. The Congress is looking to unseat the BJP and return to power after sitting 10 years in the opposition.