M A I N   N E W S

Cong releases Haryana list
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Feb 2 — After prolonged deliberations, the Indian National Congress today released a list of 87 candidates for the 90-member Haryana Assembly today.

The Congress renominated majority of members of the dissolved house and fielded former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and HPCC President Bhupinder Singh Hooda among others.

With last date for the filing of nominations closing tomorrow, the AICC today released its official list of candidates amid minor drama fearing reaction from a handful of supporters camping at the party headquarters for the past three weeks.

Former Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal will contest from his traditional Adampur seat while the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Chief will be a candidate from Kiloi. The seat was held by his son Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi, who stepped in after Mr Bhajan Lal was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha.

Both Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Hooda, were among the candidates who had lost in the last Lok Sabha elections but the party decided to field them along with others like Mr Rao Inderjit Singh (Jatusana), Mr Zakir Hussain (Taoru), Mr Om Prakash Jindal (Hisar), Mr Phool Chand Mullana (Mullana), Mr Birender Singh (Uchana Kalan), Mr Dharamveer (Tosham) and Mr Om Prakash (Ellenabad-reserved) who had suffered a similar fate.

The Central Election Committee, which took up Haryana’s case at the last, finally cleared the list this morning after the review Committee went into the seats held up last night.

The Congress had decided to field 10 women which works slightly over 10 per cent but far below the 33 per cent the party hopes to give to women. Those who have got the nod include the CLP Leader, Mrs Kartari Devi (Kalanaur-SC), Mrs Sudershana Dua (Ambala cantonment), Mrs Kiran Bala Jain (Ambala city), Mrs Rajrani Poonam (Assandh-SC), Mrs Prasanni Devi (Naultha), Mrs Sashi Saini (Thanessar), Mrs Anita Yadav (Salhawas), Mrs Chandravati (Badhra), Mrs Shakuntala Bhagwaria (Bawal-SC), and Mrs Renu Poswal (Narnaul).

Close relatives and sons of State party leaders also figure prominently. They include Mr Randeep Surjewala (Narwana) who is the son of Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala and Mr Chander Mohan (Kalka), son of Mr Bhajan Lal. Both were members of the dissolved Assembly.

Mr Randeep Surjewala will take on the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Mr Chautala, who is contesting from two constituencies will face his brother Mr Ranjit Singh, the Congress candidate from Rori.

Mr Ranbir Singh Mahendra, former Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, who is also son of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal, will contest on Congress ticket from Mundhal Khurd while Mr Zakir Hussain(Taoru) is also son of prominent State leader Mr Tayyab Hussain who is now a Minister in Rajasthan government.

Mr Rajinder Singh Kalyan (Gharaunda) is a close relative of former AICC General Secretary, Mr Sudhakar Rao Naik while Mr Ram Chander Shoran (Loharu) is said to be related to Mr Bansi Lal. Mr Ashok Kumar Sharma (Sonepat) is the son of Mr Chiranji Lal Sharma.

Mr Devraj Dewan, who won the 1996 Assembly from Sonepat as an Independent and later became an associate member of the Congress was denied nomination.

Despite early show of unity staged by State leaders, when it came to the distribution of ticket the party high command was faced with division and flooded with complaints of antecedents of some aspirants.

Delay by the Congress in finalising its list of candidates also found mention when the INLD-BJP announced its pact on Sunday. Mr Chautala had a dig stating that while the ruling combine had finalised their candidates even when their opponents were struggling for a decision.