It’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda way or the highway in Congress | Chandigarh News

CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana chief minister and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has outmaneuvered other state leaders in making Congress pick 72 of his loyalists as candidates for the Oct 5 election to the 90-member assembly.
His rival Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, on the other hand, could manage just nine tickets for her backers, failing to even convince the party to nominate her close aide Dr Ajay Chaudhary from Narnaund in Hisar district despite declaring him as the candidate from the seat on Sep 11.Similarly, she was reportedly seeking a ticket for someone in her family from Uklana in Hisar.
Read more: BJP’s countdown started, departure of false and corrupt government certain: Hooda
Speculation has been rife that Selja, who has been staking claim over the post of chief minister, would contest from Uklana by getting the seat vacated from her loyalist or family member if she is chosen as the CM after the assembly elections.
However, Naresh Selwal of Hooda camp has managed to get the ticket from Uklana. Seats on which Selja managed to secure her candidates are Kalka, Panchkula, Sadhaura, Naraingarh, Jagadhari, Ambala Cantt, Fatehabad, Assandh and Hisar.
When asked about how the CM would be selected if one faction got more tickets, Selja said that the high command would take the call. Among other leaders, Randeep Surjewala could get tickets only on two seats – Kaithal (for his son) and Narwana (reserved).
Similarly, Captain Ajay Yadav, the head of Congress’s OBC cell, got a ticket for his son and sitting MLA Chiranjeev Rao from Rewari. One seat has been left for CPI (M) and remaining five candidates have been fielded on recommendations of party high command, including Pardeep Narwal from Bawani Khera and Parag Sharma from Ballabhgarh.
Family politics prevails
Both BJP and Congress have fielded relatives and members of political families. Family members of three sitting Lok Sabha MPs of Congress are contesting the polls.
They are Hisar MP Jai Prakash’s son Vikas Saharan from Kaithal, Ambala MP Varun Chaudhary’s wife Pooja Chaudhary from Mulana (reserved) and Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda’s father Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Kiloi-Garh Sampla.
Another Haryana leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, Randeep Singh Surjewala, also managed to get a ticket for his son Aditya Surjewala from Kaithal.
Former CM Bansi Lal’s grandson Anirudh Chaudhary has been fielded from Tosham and son-in-law Somvir Sangwan from Badhra. Senior Congress leader and former Meham MLA Anand Singh Dangi’s son Balram Dangi from Meham, former minister Captain Ajay Yadav’s son Chiranjeev Rao, who is also son-in-law of former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, from Rewari, former CM Bhajan Lal’s son Chander Mohan from Panchkula and former Union minister Birender Singh’s son Brijendra from Uchana in Jind.
The party has fielded former minister and speaker H S Chatha’s son Mandeep Singh Chatha from Pehowa, former minister Mange Ram Gupta’s son Mahabir Gupta from Jind, former state home minister L D Arora’s grandson Gokul Setia from Sirsa, ex-Hansi MLA Amir Chand Makkar’s grandson Rahul Makkar from Hansi.