Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

State Cong leaders holding parallel rallies, roadshows

- Neeraj Mohan neeraj.mohan@hindustant­imes.com

HOODA, TANWAR, SURJEWALA AND KIRAN CHOUDHRY ARE IN A RACE TO PROJECT THEMSELVES AS TALLEST LEADER

KARNAL: The infighting in the top leadership of Haryana Congress seems to have no end in sight with several leaders in a race to project themselves as the tallest one in the party ahead of assembly polls due next year.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Tanwar, AICC spokespers­on and Kaithal MLA Randeep Surjewala and Haryana congress legislatur­e party leader Kiran Choudhry have all launched their parallel election campaigns by holding rallies, roadshows and public meetings.

On Sunday, Surjewala addressed a ‘Jan Aksrosh Rally’ rally in Nissing town of Karnal while Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, son of Bhupinder Hooda, held several meetings with party workers in Kurukshetr­a and Yamunanaga­r districts.

They also made big promises to people, if the Congress returns to power in next elections.

Surjewala promised to waive off pending loans of farmers and provide interest-free loans while Deepender appealed his supporters to work hard for the victory of Bhupinder Hooda, so that “old days return again”.

In the past one-and-a-half months, various Congress leaders held several rallies and roadshows in Karnal, Kurukshetr­a , Yamunanaga­r, Ambala, Panipat and Kaithal districts.

On March 8, Ashok Tanwar’s bicycle yatra covered several villages in Ambala, Yamunanaga­r and Kurukshetr­a districts. Few days later on March 18, Kiran Choudhary conducted a roadshow from Kurukshetr­a to Yamunanaga­r and told her followers, “You have to fight a battle and need to work hard for the next 18 months”.

“Agar bhagwan ne chaha or mere haath me aa gyi kalam to woh kam karke dikhaungi aap hamesha yaad rakhoge, (God willing, if I am given the reins of the state (made CM), I will show exemplary work,” she had said in Pipli.

Surjewala held several public meetings in Karnal, Kurukshetr­a and Kaithal districts, claiming that people of northern districts could play a big role to bring political change in the state. Though during media interactio­ns, Congress leaders hesitate to project themselves as party’s chief ministeria­l candidate, at public meetings and roadshows their workers chant slogans in their favour hailing them future chief minister.

On the record, these leaders do not admit any internal bickering within the Congress and claim they are united and working to strengthen the party.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Congress leader Randeep Surjewala during a public meeting at Nissing in Karnal on Sunday.
HT PHOTO Congress leader Randeep Surjewala during a public meeting at Nissing in Karnal on Sunday.

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