The Congress’s Rajya Sabha issues don’t appear to be going away, and the hype surrounding some of the party’s top nominees may come to a halt. Haryana and Rajasthan may now face a tough election battle.
Ajay Maken appeared to have an easy time winning the Haryana seat. The arrival of Kartikeya Sharma, brother of Jessica Lall murder case convict Manu Sharma and media baron, on the last day of filing nominations has generated a stir. With ten MLAs from Ajay Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) pledging their support and some more BJP votes likely to fall his way, Kartikeya only needs to secure three Congress votes, which should be easy.
For instance, a meeting of Congress MLAs was called, but Kuldeep Bishnoi did not show up. He is said to be angry with the top leadership for allowing the Hoodas to overshadow him.
A replay of what happened in 2016, when independent candidate Subhash Chandra defeated Congress candidate RK Anand, cannot be ruled out. The reason given was that there was a problem with the ink, which later turned out to be a fake.
Rajasthan appears to be in a similar predicament. Randeep Surjewala, Pramod Tiwari, and Mukul Wasnik are the contenders for the Congress in this district. However, media mogul Subhash Chandra waited till the last minute to make his nomination. Some Congress MLAs were outraged that “outsiders” were awarded tickets, and that with the assembly elections just around the corner, no one from the state unit was even considered for a Rajya Sabha seat. If cross-voting occurs, at least one of the three candidates’ candidacy may be jeopardized.
The Rajya Sabha elections have become a prestige contest as competitive as the Lok Sabha elections. It’s a competition to see who can outdo the other. A loss here would be devastating for a party with fading fortunes like the Congress. It will also have a significant impact on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s potential to win in his home state. It would also allow his opponents, such as Sachin Pilot, to fine-tune their attacks.
It could be a setback for the Hoodas in Haryana, and more people may speak out against them as a result of the full power they have been handed. If things don’t work out in the end, Again Congress’s senior leadership will be the loser.
Featured Image: Rajyasabha
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