Change in leadership won't help Haryana Congress in polls: BJP

CHANDIGARH: The BJP on Thursday said the change in the Haryana Congress leadership will not help the opposition party in the upcoming assembly polls, reminding that both Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Singh Hooda had lost the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress had named former Union minister Selja as the party chief in the state to curb the factional feud between Hooda and Ashok Tanwar, who was the Congress president earlier.

The move has, however, upset Tanwar's supporters.

In Sirsa, two people, including a woman, believed to be ardent supporters of Tanwar, thrashed district party secretary Sangeet Kumar when he was removing photographs of the former state Congress chief from the party office.

They allegedly used foul language against Selja and Hooda, sources said.

"Tanwar had worked hard for the party in the state. He should be given a good position in the central committee of the party," a Tanwar supporter of Tanwar said.

However, those backing Selja and Hooda said the duo would galvanise the party ahead of the assembly polls.

"It is a decision that came too late," a Hooda supporter said, adding that both leaders were called "brother-sister" as they enjoyed a good political equation.

Reacting to it, state BJP chief Subhash Barala said people had "little expectations" from both Hooda and Selja.

"There are no hopes for the Congress from Selja and Hooda as both had lost the Lok Sabha polls recently," he added.

Taking a dig at the change in guard in the opposition party, a state minister said, "Both Hooda and Selja had lost the Lok Sabha elections. They a spent force. This will not change the prospects for the Congress in Haryana."

He also accused Hooda of pressuring the Congress high command for a change in the party leadership as he was "facing jail" in a couple of court cases.

He said Hooda miserably failed as the Congress appointed a third person as the state chief.

On Wednesday, the Congress had replaced Ashok Tanwar, a confidante of Rahul Gandhi, with former Union minister Kumari Selja as the state chief while former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was made the leader of the Congress Legislative Party.

The Hooda faction had been demanding a change in the state leadership.

The former CM leader had also formed a 36-member panel of his loyalists, which had asked him to decide the future course of action for the faction led by him in the party a few days ago.