Haryana polls: Congress unlikely to field sitting MPs, list today

After hectic deliberations for days on end, the Congress has taken an in principle decision against fielding its sitting Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs in the October 5 Haryana Assembly election.

Top sources told The Tribune that sitting MPs Kumari Selja, Deepender Singh Hooda, Varun Chowdhry, Jai Prakash, Satpal Bhattacharjee and Randeep Surjewala are unlikely to be fielded.

“The party does not want to alter its Rajya Sabha strength at the moment, nor does it wish to force a by-election for the Lok Sabha. Sitting MPs will not be fielded. That does not however put them out of contention for chief minister ship,” a Congress source said.

AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala's son Aditya Surjewala, active in Kaithal for a year, is expected to make his political debut in the Haryana polls.

Surjewala has been personally staying put in the constituency and campaigning. He had lost the Kaithal seat in last elections and later also lost the Jind bypoll.

Sources said the issue of CM ship will come at a later stage and will be decided by the majority of the MLAs and the high command.

The second list of Congress candidates is expected on Tuesday.

On Monday, AAP announced the end of pre-poll pact talks with Congress after releasing a list of 20 candidates including 12 already named by the Congress.

Congress has so far not made any officially comment on the status of the alliance with AAP.

AAP's Manish Sisodia and state chief Sushil Gupta however said on Monday that it was over.