Sonia Gandhi’s Surprise Meeting with Selja Fuels Speculation Ahead of Haryana Assembly Elections
New Delhi, 4th October 2024: In an unexpected turn of events, Sonia Gandhi held a half-hour meeting with senior Congress leader Selja on Thursday, marking the final day of campaigning for the Haryana assembly elections. This meeting sparked speculation on social media and within party circles.
While the specifics of their discussion remain unclear, Selja had previously expressed dissatisfaction during the campaign, opting to skip the initial stages of canvassing due to reported grievances with Bhupinder Hooda, a prominent party figure. She was subsequently convinced by the party leadership to participate actively in the campaign. At a recent rally, Rahul Gandhi facilitated a show of unity by bringing Selja and Hooda together, prompting them to hold hands.
Notably, Selja’s meeting with Sonia coincided with the return of Ashok Tanwar, who had defected to the BJP and contested against her from the reserved Sirsa Lok Sabha seat. Tanwar rejoined the Congress party in Rahul’s presence during a rally in Mahendragarh.
Additionally, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking at a rally in Charkhi Dadri on Wednesday, criticized Prime Minister Modi, labelling him as “the king of those who break promises.” He also reminded Hooda of the need to “maintain my honour” by delivering on the Congress party’s commitments to the people of Haryana. This comment is viewed as particularly noteworthy, suggesting that Hooda may be the chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming elections, despite Congress not having officially announced its candidate yet.
Selja is known to be vying for the chief ministerial position and is considered a rival to the Hooda faction, which holds significant influence over state Congress affairs. In a recent interview, Selja mentioned that she could not remember the last time she spoke to Hooda, who has referred to her as his sister.
