MPs not permitted to contest, says Haryana Congress incharge Babaria on many sitting MPs seeking tickets in assembly polls

Even as Congress is doing brainstorming session to finalise the candidates for Haryana assembly polls and many of the party MPs trying to get a ticket, state in-charge Deepak Babaria on Wednesday said that none of the sitting MPs will be allowed to contest in the state polls.

The comments were made by Babaria after the meeting of the Screening Committee here, which was attended by Screening Committee members Ajay Maken, Manickam Tagore, Srinivas BV, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, stare unit chief Uday Bhan and others.

While responding to the question of the ITV Network that many of the sitting MPs including Kumari Selja, Randeep Singh Surjewala are seeking tickets, Babaria said, “Kisi ko bho ijajat nahi do jayegi (no one will be permitted).”

The remarks put many of the Congress MPs out of the race in assembly elections.

Babaria, then later said that if there is an urgent need then he or she needs to seek permission from party president Mallikarjin Kharge.

This statemwnt leaves Selja, Surjewala and Deepender Hooda in the lurch as they will be asked to focus on campaign than contest themeselves.

Babaria then said that Screening Committee members met and discussed 15 seats and list will be out in a couple days

He said that by Saturday, the party will prepare the final list of candidates.

Babaria further said that they are discussing the requests as it the party has got more than 2,000 requests from aspiring candidates.

He said as we have rece9ved more than 2,000 requests we are discussing it and then we will put it before the Chairman of the Screening Committee.

Babaria also said that the tickets ofnthe seating MLAs will be cut if there is anti-incumbency against them.

The polling for the 90 member Haryana assembly is scheduled on October 1 and counting of votes will take place on October 4. The Congress is aiming to make a come back in the state, where it has been out of the power since 2014.

Earlier in the day, Deepender Hooda also met the members of the Screening Committee. He also took a pot shot at the state government over the issuesof unemployment, inflation, women safety ad conditions of farmers in the state.

Deepender also slammed the JJP and Chadrasekhar Azad Ravan party’s alliance in the state and said, “The JJP and the INLD have been exposed in Haryana in last 10 years as they have only worked to split the votes of people to help the BJP. They are intact team B of the BJP. But now people have realised that they will only split votes thus they are not trusting them anymore.”

He also said that the Congress will form a government in the state with full majority.