New Delhi:

Congress MP Kumari Selja has confirmed she is a contender for the post of Chief Minister – if her party wins the 2024 Haryana Assembly election. Speaking to NDTV Ms Selja smiled and said, “Yes. I am among the contenders to be Chief Minister… but the final decision is with the party high command.”

Ms Selja also said the people of Haryana “know their future is (with the) Congress”. “The electorate looks at their future… and they know their future is Congress,” she said Tuesday morning, confident that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and effort by workers on the ground will translate into a win.

On her party’s chances of upsetting the Bharatiya Janata Party – which is bidding for a third consecutive win in the Hindi heartland state – Ms Selja said, “It is natural to have fatigue (referring to the anti-incumbency vote)… there was also the BJP’s misrule. That was a big factor.”

The Congress had raced into an early lead as postal ballots and early votes were counted, but it was soon pegged back, with the ruling party then crossing the halfway mark soon after.

The party, though, remains confident it will eventually prevail. Ms Selja said, “As counting progresses, we will win more than 60 Assembly seats and Congress will form the government.”

The race to form the Haryana government is, of course, the big story.

Kumari Selja vs Bhupinder Hooda?

But there is a subplot within the Congress camp, with senior leaders Ms Selja and Bhupinder Hooda going head-to-head to be named Chief Minister. Mr Hooda is raring for a third term; he made it clear he is “neither tired nor retired” but also said the party HQ, and its elected MLAs, will take the call.

Ms Selja – who won the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat in the April-June election – was earlier more circumspect, having told NDTV last month, “Why should I ‘stake claim’? Why should it be about ‘staking claim’?”

READ | “Haryana Can Give Me Space”: Kumari Selja, Day After Exit Polls

She suggested the choice should reflect “who works hard and is committed to the people”.

There was significant buzz in Haryana political circles last month after Ms Selja seemed to be in a funk; a prominent state leader with influence over the Dalit vote, she was not seen campaigning.

There was speculation she was unhappy with the way candidates were chosen; these seemed to favour loyalists of Bhupinder Hooda. She was also unhappy, it was said, at being taken for granted.

One of the issues flagged was that Ms Selja had made it clear she wanted to contest the state poll, but that was overruled by the party HQ and she was fielded from (and won) the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat.

She later told NDTV, “I wanted to contest… party didn’t allow. That is ok…”, but then warned of “issues… serious issues” that need to be resolved within the Congress’ state unit.

All of this led the BJP to declare she had been “disrespected”.

There was also an ‘invitation’, proffered by ex-Chief Minister ML Khattar, who declared “any self-respecting person” in her shoes would consider their next steps.

However, speaking to NDTV Ms Selja laughed off such talk and invited the BJP, instead, to “first set their own house in order”. “How much respect do they give (to Dalits) …”

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

Congress MP Kumari Selja set the record straight Monday amid rumours she is sulking and has opted to not campaign for the Haryana election – because she was not allowed to contest – telling NDTV “there should never be any doubts” about her commitment to the party and state.

Ms Selja called herself a “loyal worker…good soldier” and said she will hit campaign starting this week, telling NDTV, “It was never intended I shall remain absent (from the campaign) throughout. I will campaign… because I am a party solider. I’ve always said I am a good soldier.”

She did, however, acknowledge “there are issues… serious issues” that need to be resolved. She did not provide specifics but said the Congress senior leadership “is working on” the problems.

“I made it very clear… even before the Lok Sabha election… I want to serve the people of Haryana as a legislator rather than MP. But the general election came first. So the party decided, I decided, we all decided, that I should contest that election,” she told NDTV.

“But that didn’t mean one can’t contest the Vidhan Sabha election… there can always be a bypoll for the Lok Sabha seat. But now that is a separate issue. I wanted to contest… party didn’t allow. That is ok,” she said.

She did, though, suggest her contesting the state election would have sent a “strong message” and that the Congress could have benefitted from her candidature, but waved aside any talk of infighting, saying, “… in any case, the party will form the (state) government.”

There were rumours Kumari Selja had fallen out with the Congress’ Delhi HQ over her desire to contest the Haryana election. The 61-year-old won the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat in the April-June general election but also wanted to contest the state election, a wish that was refused.

Had she won it would have triggered a bypoll for the Lok Sabha seat, and the Congress, it is understood, is unwilling to risk losing one of its 99 seats.

READ | “Always Possibilities”: Kumari Selja’s Signal On Haryana Top Job

A senior Dalit leader – who has twice served as a union minister – she was seen by many as a contender for the Chief Minister’s post, if the Congress were to win next month’s election.

All of this led the BJP to declare she had been “disrespected”.

There was also an ‘invitation’, proffered by ex-Chief Minister ML Khattar, who declared “any self-respecting person” in her shoes would consider their next steps. Mr Khattar’s successor, Nayab Singh Saini, then criticised the Congress for being “anti-Dalit… for not respecting Dalits”.

READ | “Only She Can Answer”: Khattar On Buzz Of Kumari Selja In BJP

However, speaking to NDTV this afternoon Ms Selja laughed off such talk and invited the BJP, instead, to “first set their own house in order”. “How much respect do they give (to Dalits) …”

Speaking separately to news agency PTI, she quipped “maybe the BJP is more worried”.

Talk of her jumping ship was also dismissed by the Congress’ candidate for the Uchana Kalan Assembly seat, Brijendra Singh, who hit out at the BJP’s “shop of lies”.

Voting for the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8, with those from Jammu and Kashmir’s first Assembly election in a decade.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.