With only a couple of weeks left for polling for Haryana Assembly elections, the Congress party has strategically sidelined Kumari Selja, a prominent Dalit leader. Despite her strong grassroots connection, the party's top leadership has marginalised her to maintain former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda's influence. This move reveals an anti-Dalit bias within the party. Selja's increasing activity before the elections was abruptly halted, indicating a deliberate attempt to diminish her role.
Rahul Gandhi, a key Congress leader, is focused on championing the oppressed and deprived. He is vocal about caste issues in various sectors. However, within his own party, the voice of a strong Dalit woman leader like Kumari Selja has been suppressed. The Congress leadership has not shown the courage to challenge Hooda's dominance.
The Haryana Congress is heavily influenced by Bhupendra Singh Hooda. His control over the party is evident, leading to a significant conspiracy to politically eliminate Kumari Selja. Despite her loyalty and dedication to the party, the reality today is that Haryana Congress equates to 'Hooda is the Congress, and the Congress is Hooda'.
The dominance of Hooda's camp was also evident during the Lok Sabha elections. Selja pointed out that if tickets were distributed fairly, Congress could have performed better. She accused Hooda's camp of giving tickets to outsiders, highlighting the arbitrary nature of ticket distribution.
Out of 90 seats in Haryana, Congress is contesting 89 seats with 72 candidates loyal to Bhupendra Singh Hooda. In contrast, only nine candidates close to Kumari Selja made it to the list. This disparity underscores the marginalisation of Dalit leaders within the party.
Kumari Selja's status in Haryana Congress today reflects her marginalisation by the Hooda camp. She supported Vidya Rani Danoda from Narwana and Himmat Singh from Ambala City for tickets. Despite her public support, their tickets were cut, showing how Hooda's camp controls the party and humiliates Dalit leaders like Selja.
Selja's Political MarginalisationAfter the Lok Sabha elections, Kumari Selja positioned herself as a contender for the Chief Minister's post. Even as an MP, she expressed her desire to contest assembly elections. However, an order from the leadership prevented MPs from contesting, effectively cutting her ticket before she could even start.
This strategic sidelining of Kumari Selja by Haryana Congress is not just personal humiliation but a deliberate effort to distance a Dalit leader from mainstream politics. The incident exposes internal tricks and characters within Congress through Hooda's influence.
The anti-Dalit face of Congress is evident in its treatment of Kumari Selja. Despite claims of representing Dalits, when it comes to actual representation, hypocrisy prevails. The interests of Hooda are being served by Haryana Congress because through him, the high command serves its own interests.
The sidelining of Kumari Selja before Haryana Assembly elections highlights internal power struggles within Congress. It reveals an anti-Dalit bias and exposes how influential leaders like Bhupendra Singh Hooda control party dynamics for their benefit.