Selja, Hooda instructed to hold joint campaigns

The Asian Age.

India, All India

The party is fully aware that the elections in the state ought to be fought on local rather than national issues.

Congress leader Kumari Selja

New Delhi: After lagging behind due to internal rivalries, the Congress is now gearing up for the Assembly elections in Haryana. The party high command has instructed the newly appointed state unit chief, Kumari Selja, and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda to hold joint campaigns.

Starting Sunday, the entire state Congress will be on an outreach overdrive. The state unit has already started short-listing problem areas that need to be highlighted.

The party is fully aware that the elections in the state ought to be fought on local rather than national issues. In this regard, feedback is being sought regarding such matters. After this, a comprehensive manifesto will be launched.

Insiders claim that the main plank of the Congress will be unemployment and job loss. In the last couple of months, several factories in the industrialised belts of Gurugram, Manesar, Rewari and Faridabad had to opt for layoffs.

Mr Hooda had earlier already stated several measures to be taken by the Congress if it comes to power in the state. This includes a job for one member of every family, a waiver of farm loans and pay parity of state government officials with that of Punjab’s. After the main issues are shortlisted, the party will go on a door-to-door campaign to highlight the unfulfilled promises of the state government.

In the ninety-member Assembly, the Congress hopes to announce candidates at the earliest. The problem that the Congress faces is that of infighting. The leadership issue in the state was only settled a week back. Complaints against the former state unit chief Ashok Tanwar were only increasing and it was only after an ultimatum from the former chief minister Mr Hooda that the party had to make amends.

In the wake of his removal as state unit chief, Mr Tanwar was reportedly upset but after his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi things are under control.

Many in the party also feel that had the decision to change the state leadership been taken earlier, the party would have been in a stronger position in Haryana.

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