Chandigarh, April 19
The Congress has finally wielded the stick against party dissidents and expelled 19 senior leaders, including Rao Inderjit Singh and Ambala MLA Venod Sharma, for anti-party activities. The move threatens to revive factionalism in the faction-ridden party ahead of the Assembly elections this year.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee(HPCC) president Ashok Tanwar said the leaders, who included former MPs, ministers, MLAs and Block Congress Committee (BCC) presidents, had been expelled for anti-party activities and working against Congress’ official candidates during the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Besides, Rao Inderjit Singh and Sharma, those expelled included former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dharambir, former MP Sushil Indora, former minister Krishan Gehlot and former legislators Tejvir Singh, Bhupinder Chaudhary.

While Rao Inderjit Singh contested the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat on the BJP ticket, Dharambir was BJP’s candidate from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat while Indora contested the Sirsa seat on the HJC ticket.

Sharma, a confidant of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who quit the Congress, unsuccessfully tried to get the HJC ticket from Karnal. Sharma, who is currently lying low, is reportedly toying with the idea of floating a political party in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

Former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda’s brother Govind Kanda (Sirsa), PCC member (Gohana) Surjeet Taneja, BCC chief (Narnaund) Ram Avtar Dhanda, BCC chief (Ellenabad) Niranjan Kumar Talwaria, BCC chief (Ateli-Nangal) Krishan Lal Yadav, BCC chief (Pundri) Ramesh Chand, BCC chief (Taoru) Mahender Kumar, BCC chief (Ratia) Lekh Raj Lali, BCC chief (Kalanwali) Darshan Kumar Indora, BCC chief (Khol) Dayanand Yadav, BCC chief (Bawal) Virender Singh Mehlawat and BCC chief (Nangal Chaudhary) Anil Amar Singh Yadav were other leaders expelled from the party.

Observers said the expulsions of senior leaders might revive factionalism in the party ahead of the Assembly elections — a development which may cost the Hooda government dear against the backdrop of the anti-incumbency. Tanwar has asked the district and block presidents to send their reports regarding dissidents’ activities in the Lok Sabha polls by April 30.