Intra-party duel in Congress on Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, March 18

The Congress is facing an intra-party contest before the Lok Sabha elections on Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat. The Toshan MLA and senior Congress leader Kiran Choudhary has been staking the claim to the party ticket for her daughter and former MP Shruti Choudhary for the third time. She is facing a challenge from Congress MLA from Mahendragarh Rao Daan Singh. The BJP has already announced that it will re-nominate sitting MP Dharambir Singh.

Though there were two separate parliamentary constituencies, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh, both were joined in the delimitation exercise before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP leader Dharambir Singh won this seat twice in 2014 and 2019 by defeating Congress candidate Shruti Choudhary by massive margins. Shruti won this seat in 2009 when she made electoral debut by defeating the INLD candidate Ajay Singh Chautala by over 50,000 votes.

Now, Tosham MLA Choudhary, who is the wife of former Haryana minister late Surender Singh and daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal, has been pushing the name of her daughter for nominating her on the Congress ticket for the third time in a row.

Choudhary’s supporters said Shruti had the legacy of former CM Bansi Lal behind her. Choudhary who carried out the Congress Sandesh Yatra along with the senior party leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala seemed to have the backing of these two leaders in her pursuit for the ticket.

The sitting MLA from Mahendragarh, Rao Dan Singh, has emerged as a strong contender for the party ticket from this segment. Singh had defeated senior BJP leader Rambilas Sharma in the 2019 Assembly elections. He also enjoys the support of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The party sources said both camps had been making a strong pitch for the candidature of their respective candidates for the Lok Sabha seat. The tussle inside the Congress over the ticket has also given an opportunity to the BJP nominee from here to attack the rival.

However, a political expert indicated that Shruti’s two losses in a row by massive margins are a strong factor against her claim for the ticket. She lost by over four lakh votes in the 2019 polls. She was at third position in 2014 Lok Sabha polls behind BJP’s Dharambir (winner) and INLD’s Bahadur Singh (runner-up).

“Kiran Choudhary holds sway in her home segment Tosham as she has been winning consecutively since 2009. But, it’s going to be tough for Shruti,” he said, while adding that Rao Dan Singh, too, would have to face intra-party factionalism if he joins the fray.

The Bhiwani Mahendragarh parliamentary constituency spans over three districts Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri and Mahendragarh districts in south Haryana. It comprises three Assembly segments of Bhiwani district —- Bhiwani, Tosham and Loharu, four Assembly segments of Mahendragarh district —- Mahendragarh, Ateli, Narnaul, Nangal Chaudhary besides two legislative constituencies of Charkhi Dadri district —- Badhra and Dadri.

Tussle between Shruti, Rao Daan Singh

Toshan MLA Kiran Choudhary has been staking the claim to the party ticket for her daughter and former MP Shruti Choudhary whereas she is facing challenge from Congress MLA from Mahendergarh Rao Daan Singh.

Kiran choudhary holds sway

Kiran Choudhary holds sway in her home segment Tosham as she has been winning consecutively since 2009. But, it’s going to be tough for Shruti. — A political expert