This Article is From Oct 20, 2014

Kumari Selja Blames Bhupinder Hooda After Congress' Poll Debacle in Haryana

Kumari Selja (Left) has been a critic of Bhupinder Singh Hooda

New Delhi: After the Congress lost Haryana to the BJP in Sunday's verdict, outgoing chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has come under sharp criticism from within his party.

Former union minister Kumari Selja, who has been a vocal critic of Mr Hooda, told NDTV, "I think responsibility should be owned by (Mr Hooda) because he enjoyed total absolute power for the past few years."  

She alleged that Mr Hooda's choice of candidates led to the party's loss.

The Congress, which has ruled Haryana since 2005, was reduced to 15 seats in polls held last week. The BJP, which won 47 seats, is all set to form the first government on its own in the state.

Like others in the Congress, Ms Selja said party president Sonia Gandhi and her son and deputy Rahul could not be held responsible for the defeat as they were "too democratic" to interfere in the state's affairs.

The Congress' Dalit face in Haryana, Ms Selja was largely missing from the campaign when the BJP courted the Dalits and non-Jats. She confirmed to us that she kept a low profile because she was "not involved and her suggestions were not accepted." Congress ads and posters also did not feature her, she said.

"If more consultations had taken place among leaders, it would have been good, but unfortunately that kind of an environment was totally missing," she said, adding that other state leaders like Randeep Surjewala and Kiran Walia - the ministers who won, echoed her sentiment.

When asked about Ms Selja's outbirst, Mr Surjewala, a party spokesperson, said, "All senior leaders will be consulted and their views will be considered."

Ms Selja alleged that it was because of Mr Hooda that senior Haryana leaders like Rao Inderjeet Singh quit the party.

"Thousands of leaders were forced to leave the party... why do you think that happened? In 2005, I was one of the major backers of Hooda" she said. Asked what changed, she replied, "You have to ask him."

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