Congress accuses BJP of secretly aiding INLD in Rania elections

Political tensions flared in Haryana’s Rania Assembly constituency on Wednesday after Congress candidate Sarv Mitter Kamboj accused the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of striking a covert electoral deal. He claimed this alleged understanding played a decisive role in the recent Assembly election, which saw INLD’s Arjun Chautala win by a reduced margin.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress office in Sirsa, Sarv Mitter referred to a recent statement made by Gopal Kanda on July 23, in which the MLA said that if Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had not asked him to support the INLD in Rania, the seat “might have gone to Congress.” Kanda added that whether his support for Abhay Chautala was right or wrong, “the public knows best.”

Sarv Mitter said Kanda’s remarks validated the Congress’s long-standing claim that the BJP and INLD were secretly coordinating efforts to defeat Congress candidates in Rania and other parts of the Sirsa district. He further alleged large-scale misuse of money and government machinery during the election. “Bags of money were brought into Rania and distributed openly. Yet no action was taken,” he claimed.

He also alleged that the BJP had fielded dummy candidates in Sirsa, Ellenabad and Dabwali to split votes and ultimately benefit the INLD. Responding to INLD MLA Arjun Chautala’s recent remark that Sarv Mitter’s in-laws had voted for him, Kamboj clarified: “My in-laws belong to the Sirsa constituency, not Rania. They couldn’t have voted here. Arjun Chautala is being misled by his advisors and should consider replacing them.”

Sarv Mitter also reacted to Chautala’s earlier challenge, in which the INLD MLA had said he was ready to resign if anyone believed his victory was not legitimate. “If Arjun Chautala is truly confident, he should resign and face the public again,” Sarv Mitter said. “Let the people decide this time, without BJP’s silent support.” He urged voters to question leaders when they arrive to campaign.