Fault lines show, Congress to battle rebels in 10 seats

Ambala: Chitra Sarwara, 44, has been a protegee of Rahul Gandhi as she was made the national general secretary of Mahila Congress and party's national social media coordinator in his term as the Congress chief. But her father Nirmal Singh and Sarwara could now cost the Congress two assembly seats in Ambala district.

“Haath ne hamara saath chhod diya (Congress has dumped us). A ticket can make someone a candidate, but not a leader,” Sarwara says in the streets of Ambala Cantonment, where she as an independent is taking on BJP heavyweight and Haryana minister Anil Vij. Nirmal Singh, a former minister seen close to ex-chief
minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is also in the field as an independent from Ambala City. Both have been expelled from the Congress now for contesting after being denied tickets.

The party battles its own people in at least 10 seats including Ambala in Haryana, like Gurgaon, Beri, Ateli, Indri and Asandh in Karnal district and Hansi, Uklana and Barwala in Hisar district where its wellknown leaders, including eight former MLAs, have turned rebels and entered the contest. Fault lines between Hooda and Congress state chief Kumari Selja show up in Ambala, a headquarters of state politics in North Haryana.

Selja, being an ex-MP from Ambala, got the ‘veto’ on who to be fielded from here and Hooda's confidants, the father-daughter duo, were edged out. Sarwara’s candidature has turned formidable as the INLD-Akali Dal combine has extended support to her by withdrawing their candidate, along with JJP and AAP units. Congress debutant candidate, Venu Singla Agrawal, is projected as a “clean, peaceful and educated candidate” juxtaposed with BJP’s Anil Vij who is known for his controversial comments and fondly called ‘Gabbar’ by locals for his bombastic style. But Agrawal seems to be no match for Vij who won Ambala Cantt in 2009 and 2014 defeating Nirmal Singh and

terms himself as a “grassroots leader” who nonchalantly sips tea among locals.

BJP's sitting MLA from Ambala City, Aseem Goel, looks comfortable as well with Singh spoiling the party for the Congress candidate. Hooda has tried to calm such dissentions in the ranks and got two Congress rebels in Bahadurgarh in Rohtak to withdraw their nominations.