Tanwar’s switch to Cong hours after BJP Safidon rally springs a surprise

In a surprising turn of events, former Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar (47) rejoined the Congress just three hours before the campaign for the Haryana Assembly polls was set to end. His return to the party, facilitated by Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Mahendragarh, came as a shock to many, especially given his presence earlier in the day at a BJP rally in Safidon.

Tanwar’s re-entry into the Congress is being described as one of the biggest surprises in the ongoing Haryana elections, particularly for the Dalit segment, which he represents. Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, once considered Tanwar’s bête noire, welcomed him back into the party during the rally — a significant moment, given the strained relationship between the two.

Tanwar, who debuted in electoral politics as a Congress MP from Sirsa in 2009, has since hopped across multiple political parties during his six-year hiatus from the Congress. After serving as president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee for nearly five years (2014-2019), Tanwar left the party on October 4, 2019, when the Congress replaced him with Kumari Selja.

His political journey has been marked by instability. After leaving the Congress, Tanwar briefly supported the JJP and showed proximity to the INLD before joining the TMC in November 2021. However, his stint with the TMC was short-lived, and he switched to AAP in April 2022.

Tanwar’s association with AAP did not last long either. Nearly two years after joining, he moved to the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections, where he was nominated as the BJP candidate from Sirsa (reserved) segment. However, he lost the 2024 election to Congress leader Kumari Selja by a massive margin of 2,68,497 votes. Despite campaigning for the BJP and sharing the stage with senior leaders, including PM Modi, Tanwar’s decision to rejoin the Congress has left many puzzled.

Political flip-flop

• In 2009, became Congress MP from Sirsa, left party in 2019
• In 2021, joined TMC after unofficial affiliations with JJP and INLD
• In 2022, switched to AAP, but shifted his loyalty to BJP in 2024
• Lost the recent Lok Sabha election, back in Cong fold