Two more Cong leaders quit, citing organisational disarray

The exodus from the Congress shows no signs of slowing down, as two more senior leaders — former MLA Narender Sangwan and district spokesperson Satish Rana — have announced their decision to quit the party and join the BJP.

Sangwan is set to join the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, while Rana is expected to follow suit in the coming days.

Narender Sangwan, a prominent Jat leader, was elected as an MLA from Gharaunda on an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket in 2009 but failed to secure victory in the 2014 elections. He left the INLD after the formation of the JJP in December 2018, where he served as the district president before quitting in October 2019. He then joined Congress under the leadership of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Explaining his decision to leave Congress, Sangwan cited persistent infighting and a lack of organisational structure. “I am surprised that Congress has failed to establish a proper organisational framework and has been unable to address internal conflicts. There is no coordination between leaders and party workers, due to which I have decided to leave the Congress and will join the BJP on Tuesday,” Sangwan said.

He further revealed his disappointment over being sidelined, despite assurances of a ticket for the Assembly elections in both 2019 and 2024.

Similarly, Satish Rana echoed concerns about internal discord and the neglect of grassroots workers as reasons for his departure. “I was with the BJP from 2008 to 2022 and held several positions, including district president of BJP’s Kisan Morcha. In 2022, I joined Congress under Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s leadership. I have now decided to leave Congress and will join the BJP in the coming days,” Rana said.

This latest round of defections comes just a week after several Congress leaders switched allegiance to the BJP. Those who recently joined include former Haryana Minority Commission chairperson Trilochan Singh, former district Congress (urban) president Ashok Khurana, Nittu Mann, Parvesh Gaba and Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Sources within Congress suggest that some of these leaders were upset over the party's decision to field Manoj Wadhwa as its mayoral candidate from Karnal, which triggered dissatisfaction within local ranks.