Congress candidate accuses Hoodas of hatching conspiracy to defeat him

Congress’ Ambala Cantonment candidate Parvinder Singh Pari, who lost the Assembly election, has accused former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Deepender Hooda of hatching a conspiracy against him to make him lose the election.

In the recently concluded Assembly elections, BJP candidate Anil Vij had won by a margin of 7,277 votes. While Vij polled 59,858 votes, his nearest rival, Congress rebel and Independent candidate Chitra Sarwara polled 52,581 votes. Parvinder Singh Pari managed to get only 14,469 votes and ended third.

Even in the 2019 Assembly elections, Anil Vij had won the seat by defeating Independent candidate Chitra Sarwara, while the Congress candidate had stood third.

Parvinder Pari, a loyalist of Kumari Selja, said, “Nirmal Singh had been working for his vested interests. Despite getting party ticket from Ambala City Assembly segment, he, along with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, supported Chitra (Nirmal’s daughter) as Independent candidate and made all efforts to make her win. In Ambala City, Himmat Singh and Jasbir Mallour had filed nomination against Nirmal Singh, but Deepender Hooda made the rebels withdraw their nominations and offered them chairmanships, but he supported the rebel in Ambala Cantonment. Whenever Nirmal is denied ticket, he contests as an Independent candidate and also fields his children as Independent candidates from other seats just to weaken the party’s position.”

‘Supported ind candidate instead’

Despite getting party ticket from Ambala City Assembly segment, Nirmal Singh, along with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, supported Chitra (Nirmal’s daughter) as Independent candidate and made all efforts to make her win. —Parvinder Pari, Congress’ Ambala Cantonment candidate

“Despite the fact that Nirmal Singh and Chitra Sarwara had quit the party in 2019, contested as Independents, formed Haryana Democratic Front (HDF), remained in AAP and then came back to the Congress, the party gave him a ticket. Yet, they were not satisfied and worked against the party’s interests. I have raised the issue with the All India Congress Committee (AICC). I am confident that Rahul Gandhi will give me a personal hearing and I will give the details of how they worked against the party.”

He also accused Hooda of misguiding Rahul Gandhi and said that he would take up the matter with Rahul and seek action.

“For the roadshow of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, I was told that Rahul would cover Ambala Cantonment too, but we were later told to reach Saha Chowk with our supporters to welcome them. During the roadshow, when we told Rahul Gandhi that Saha was part of Mullana Assembly segment and not Ambala Cantonment, he was surprised because he was misguided,” he alleged.

He said, “Had Kumari Selja started campaigning in time, the situation would have been different. The election is over but we will continue to work for the people of Ambala Cantonment and raise public issues strongly. I am hopeful that Rahul Gandhi will take appropriate action to save the party.”