As Selja, once a key figure in deciding the Congress strategy for the state, seemingly takes a step back at this critical juncture, speculations about internal discord in the Congress are rife. Her silence could negatively impact the party’s electoral chances, preventing it from consolidating votes.
Sources in the party suggest she is discontent over the ticket distribution for the Haryana polls. Kumari Selja reportedly felt sidelined by the Congress party after the camp led by her and Randeep Surjewala managed to secure only 13 of the 90 tickets for contesting the assembly seats, including those of sitting MLAs.
Contacted by The Print Thursday, Selja, however, refused to comment on these speculations. In Haryana, 17 of the 90 assembly seats are reserved for SC candidates, and Selja holds considerable influence over the Sirsa and Fatehabad assembly seats.
Sources in the Congress told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity that Selja had requested 30 to 35 seats for her camp. However, the Congress high command allocated 72 tickets to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda camp. Selja even failed to secure a ticket for her close associate, Dr. Ajay Chaudhary, from the Narnaund assembly seat.
And it was not just that. On the last day of ticket distribution, a Congress worker made a casteist remark on Selja during the nomination programme of Congress candidate Jassi Petwad in Narnaund. The incident escalated, leading to widespread protests. The Dalit community was deeply hurt by the comment directed at Selja, with a case subsequently lodged against the party worker, a supporter of Petwad, at Narnaund police station.
The incident has snowballed, and now, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini, are targeting the Congress, accusing it of harbouring anti-Dalit sentiments.
‘Internal conflict’
After the casteist remark on Selja, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda made a statement to show her support. “She is like a sister to us and a respected leader in Congress. No Congress leader or worker can make such a statement about her. If anyone makes such a remark, they have no place in Congress. Today, everyone has a mobile phone, and anyone can be manipulated to say anything. But such a mentality has no place in society or politics. Opposition parties are deliberately plotting to divide society,” he said.
However, a Congress worker’s public attack on Selja ahead of the Haryana polls could have serious consequences, Jyoti Mishra, a researcher at the Centre for Studies on Democratic Societies (CSDS), told The Print.
“Kumari Selja has solidified her position as the Dalit community’s representative in Haryana. She emerged as a powerful leader during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by winning with an overwhelming margin. Her triumph demonstrated not only her appeal but also her ability to connect with voters, especially among Dalits and other disadvantaged communities. This connection was reflected in the overwhelming support the Congress received from Dalit voters during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Haryana,” Mishra said.
Mishra said that the public disrespect of Selja from within her party risks alienating Dalit voters, who view her as a symbol of their political empowerment, from the Congress. The party granting tickets to those favoured in the Hooda camp rather than those in the Selja camp has further heightened the resentment among Selja’s loyal support base. If handled poorly, the situation could erode the cohesion in the Haryana Congress and benefit opposition parties, Mishra added.
“How the Congress leadership manages this internal conflict will be critical to the party’s electoral success, especially given Selja’s strong support in key constituencies across the state,” she said.
Sunil Parti, the media adviser to Hooda, however, said that the reports of internal strife in the Congress are baseless, and opposition parties are spreading such rumours. “Hooda clearly said that Kumari Selja is like his sister and a respected leader of the party, and no one who makes any casteist remark on her has any place in the party,” Parti told ThePrint.
Also Read: In BJP manifesto, Olympic nurseries, free dialysis & development boards for Haryana’s 36 biradaris
Two factions
The Haryana Congress is divided into two factions — one led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepender Singh Hooda, and the other faction formerly known as SRK after Randeep Surjewala and Kiran Choudhary and now aligned with Selja. Kiran Chaudhry, another key figure in the Haryana Congress, left the party due to Hooda’s dominance and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Afterwards, former Union minister Chaudhary Birender Singh has often been spotted in the Selja camp.
The tension between the two camps has been evident in campaign posters and statements before the election tour. Kumari Selja released a poster that caused a stir because it did not feature the photos of Bhupinder Hooda and state party president Udai Bhan. This incident further highlighted internal factionalism.
A battle for the CM chair also erupted within the Congress party. While Bhupinder Hooda’s faction launched the ‘Haryana maange hisaab’ campaign, Kumari Selja announced the ‘Congress sandesh yatra‘.
On 27 July, Selja shared a poster on social media to mark the beginning of her campaign. Her move started a controversy because the poster gave prominence to Randeep Surjewala and Birender Singh and did not include Bhupinder Hooda and Uday Bhan
The Hooda faction complained to the Congress high command about this poster, after which Selja released another poster including his and Bhan’s pictures.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: 2 lakh govt jobs, caste survey among Congress’s ‘7 guarantees’ for Haryana polls
