Asked Sonia to relieve me from all poll panels: Haryana Cong ex-chief Tanwar

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 3

Former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, who has raised a banner of revolt, on Thursday said he has written to party president Sonia Gandhi, asking her to relieved him from all state poll panels. "All of us know the legitimacy of these panels," he said.

Addressing a press conference, Tanwar said the Congress in Haryana has become "Hooda Congress". He added: “ I will remain primary member of the Congress. It's unfortunate that anti-party forces are dominant in Haryana.”

“Haryana is all about political gharanas which are preventing ordinary people like me to work for tbe Congress,” Tanwar said, adding that: “What I’m saying is today’s reality. Let’s see what turn politics and time takes tomorrow." 

Asked if he will campaign in the Assembly polls, Tanwar said: “I will see who needs me how much, but will never follow the orders of those who disregarded party orders”.

On being questioned he’d be fine if his supporters contest independently, Tanwar said: “If someone wants to contest, how can I stop them?”

In his letter to Congress president Gandhi, Tanwar said he was stepping down from various committees formed by her for the Haryana assembly elections but would continue to work to strengthen the party as its “ordinary soldier”.

“I am writing this letter with immense pain to inform you that after due consideration and exhausting all available avenues to get my voice heard. I have not been left with any other option but to resign from the responsibilities you have assigned me as member of various committees for Haryana assembly elections,” Tanwar said in his letter to Gandhi.

He said he, however, will continue his duties as primary member of the Congress party.

“My voice is an expression of the aspirations of millions of staunch Congress supporters, voters and local leaders of the Congress party,” Tanwar said.

“It is excruciating to see the same individuals taking all the decision and instead of allowing just, free and fair selection of candidates, which has been the hallmark of your leadership and has taken an ordinary person like me to Parliament. These individuals are selling tickets and subverting the great political legacy of the Congress party by ruthlessly killing the political career of the hardworking Congress leaders,” he said in the letter to the Congress president.

Tanwar also highlighted that he as the outgoing PCC president had suggested a just and objective criterion for selection of candidates and enumerated the same in his letter, which, he alleged, was not followed.

“Unfortunately, it feels like the Congress in Haryana has been hijacked by an individual and even senior leaders of AICC are insensitive towards the Haryana Congress becoming Hooda Congress. Ever since the Lok Sabha elections, I have felt that the party has become unresponsive. This has not only demoralised the party workers, but the lack of a united and strong opposition is also giving a free run to the BJP for undoing the Congress party’s ideals and principles that have been the foundations of our nation,” he said.

“Today, I regret presenting my resignation from various committees for the Haryana assembly elections,” Tanwar added.

Infighting in the Haryana Congress had reached the doorstep of Gandhi on Wednesday after Tanwar and his supporters protested outside her 10 Janpath residence, alleging corruption in distribution of tickets for the upcoming assembly polls in Haryana.

Tanwar claimed that party workers are alleging corruption in ticket distribution, but did not spell out any details. He said if need be, he would give adequate proof of the same to Gandhi.

“The way ticket distribution has been done is not as per practice and laid rules,” he said, asking the party to spell out the criterion for allocation of tickets. — With PTI inputs