In the lead-up to the Lok Sabha election in Haryana, the Congress party finds itself lagging behind its rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in declaring its candidates. The BJP has taken the initiative, announcing nominees for all 10 Lok Sabha constituencies and actively campaigning. Haryana will have single-phase polling on May 25th.
The Congress party’s delay in selecting candidates has provided the BJP leaders with an opportunity to criticize their opponents, accusing them of infighting and factionalism. At a gathering in Narnaul, Chief Minister Saini claimed that the Congress was afraid to contest the election against the BJP.
The prolonged delay in declaring candidates has caused anxiety among the party cadre and leaders, who highlight that the election is just a month away. According to one party leader, early candidate announcement provides ample time for campaigning.
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are contesting the election in an alliance, with the Congress contesting nine seats and the AAP contesting one. The AAP has already announced its candidate for the lone Kurukshetra seat.
Haryana Congress president Chaudhary Udaybhan defended the delay, stating that the Congress has a large number of applicants, necessitating a more extended decision-making process. He emphasized that there is still sufficient time before nominations are filed.
Udaybhan stressed that the Congress is committed to a democratic process, giving all applicants and leaders a chance to express their views. He stated that the party’s decision-making process takes time but assured that the announcement of candidates is imminent.
