Congress workers staged protests outside the party’s headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday, demanding local candidates be fielded for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, scheduled for October 5. The protests were sparked by allegations that state Congress President Udai Bhan’s son-in-law and daughter, despite previous electoral losses, had been given tickets for the upcoming elections.
A Congress worker, speaking to the media, expressed frustration over the party’s decision. “Despite losing their deposits twice, Udai Bhan’s son-in-law and daughter have been given tickets again. We raised this issue within the party, and now we are highlighting it through the media,” he said. The worker further mentioned that if the tickets are not withdrawn, many candidates may run as independents or resign from the party.
According to the protesters, 42 candidates had applied for a ticket from the Pataudi region, 38 of whom were present at the protest. They argued that party guidelines stated that candidates who had lost twice would not be given tickets again.
One of the protesters, Sunita Verma, said, “Our leader Bawariya had made it clear that after two electoral losses, no candidate would be allowed to run. However, this rule is being broken, and we are demanding that it be upheld.”
The protesters called on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to ensure that the rules are followed fairly. “We request Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership to ensure that the party rules are enforced properly. It’s unfair to grant tickets to those who have previously been denied,” Verma added.
The protests come ahead of the Haryana elections, where the last date for filing nominations is September 12, with the results expected on October 8.