Randeep Surjewala missing from Congress’s ‘Haryana Mange Hisaab’ drive
Parveen Arora
Karnal, July 22
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala has been absent from the Congress party’s state-wide campaign ‘Haryana Mange Hisaab’, led by Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda.
He was conspicuous by his absence even during the launching of the campaign on July 15 from the Assembly segment of CM Nayab Singh Saini in Karnal, which is just a stone’s throw away from Kaithal. While talking to The Tribune Surjewala said at present he was focusing on his two stronghold districts — Kaithal and Jind — to regain the party’s ground. He had been camping here for the past 20 days. Besides, he was planning a tour of north Haryana.
Surjewala defended his move and said, “We all need to work on strengthening the party in the best way we can. I am currently focusing on Kaithal and JInd,” he said. Rajya Sabha MP said his goal was to ensure Congress candidates’ victory in Kaithal and Jind districts, where the party lost eight out of nine seats in the previous elections.
Surjewala outlined his future plans, revealing his intention to extend his campaign to other districts in north Haryana. He planned travelling to Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Panchkula and Panipat to strengthen the party’s base in north Haryana.
“It is imperative for the Congress to win the GT Road belt and north Haryana to form the government. Everytime the Congress has lost the GT Belt and north Haryana, it has been out of power. Strategically, the Congress leaders have failed to see that north and south Haryana even the Yadav belt up to Mahendragarh are the key to attain power in the state. The sooner the Congress realises this, the better it will be for us,” he asserted.
About the proposed similar plan of Sirsa MP Kumari Selja to focus urban voters, Surjewala stressed on unity and collective efforts within the party and said, “Kumari Selja is a loyal soldier and dedicated party worker.”
A close associate of Surjewala, on condition of anonymity, said: “We are upset that a leader of his stature has been sidelined before the elections. ‘Haryana Mange Hisaab’ has become a one man show for Deepender Hooda. They do not want any other big leader to be around him,” he added.
