Cong rebel Sampat Singh takes back papers in Nalwa

Former Haryana Minister Prof Sampat Singh (75), who has been one of the most influential politicians in Haryana politics, has withdrawn his nomination papers as the Independent candidate from the Nalwa Assembly constituency. Sampat was one of the aspirants for the Congress ticket but the party has opted to field a greenhorn Anil Maan in Nalwa.

The Congress sources said former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had prevailed over him to withdraw the nomination papers. Sampat as well as his son Gaurav Sampat Singh who had filed nomination papers as covering candidates had taken back their nominations today.

The decision is expected to give a boost to the Congress candidate in the Nalwa Assembly segment as Sampat who had represented this segment in 2009 has considerable following here. Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda is also expected to visit Sampat later.

Notably, Sampat who has good rapport with the leaders in the Congress across the groups had shared the stage with Sirsa MP Kumari Selja during the rally in the Narnaund Assembly constituency recently which hinted that he was expecting support from Selja in the bid for the nomination from the Congress for the Nalwa seat. However, Sampat filed the papers as an Independent to show rebellion when he was denied the ticket.

Sampat had been one of the most influential political figures in Haryana politics as he had served as the Home and Finance minister in the Lok Dal governments headed by Devi Lal and later Om Prakash Chautala.

Sampat joined politics leaving his job as a lecturer at Dayanand College in Hisar when he was appointed political secretary of the then Chief Minister Devi Lal in 1977. Later, he started his political innings as an Independent MLA from erstwhile the Bhattu Kalan Assembly segment in 1982. He became MLA of the Lok Dal party five times. He also served as the Leader of Opposition from 1991 to 1996.

In 2009, he left the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) after 32 years of association and joined the Congress. After leaving INLD, he moved to the Nalwa Assembly segment in 2009 as the Congress candidate and defeated Bhajan Lal’s wife Jasma Devi. But lost the next election to INLD’s Ranbir Gangwa.

In 2019, Kuldeep Bishnoi (then a Congress leader) used his influence in the Congress to deny him the Congress ticket from Nalwa in 2019 after which Singh left the Congress and joined the BJP. However, he returned to the Congress fold in August 2022.