New Delhi: Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has asked leaders in the three poll-going states and a poll-going Union Territory to give up infighting and avoid controversial statements in the public.
According to party insiders, Rahul has got busy with his Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha role but is equally keen that the grand old party and its allies gain power in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana and UT Jammu and Kashmir which will have Assembly polls in a few months.
Therefore, Rahul along with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge reviewed the strategy in the poll-bound states and Union Territory from June 24 to 27. Of late, reports of infighting among senior leaders had surfaced from the local units in the three states and UT Jammu and Kashmir and accordingly, Rahul read the riot act to them during the review meetings.
"The high command told the state leaders to fight the coming polls unitedly and refrain from targeting each other in public. They were asked to discuss all issues within the party. The Congress has a very good chance in the coming three state and one UT elections and we must be united," a senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) functionary said.
According to party insiders, Kharge too expressed concern over the infighting saying rival groups of leaders from a state come to him complaining about the other faction. He was referring to a section of the Maharashtra Congress which has been pressing for replacing state unit chief Nana Patole for some time. Similarly, a section of state leaders is keen that Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad, who is now a Lok Sabha member, be replaced.
"The high command wants that the entire state unit should be united against the BJP at this juncture,” AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra Ashish Dua told ETV Bharat. The problem is the same in Jharkhand, where the Congress shares power with allies Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
A section of the state leaders had been seeking the removal of Jharkhand unit chief Rajesh Thakur but have been told by the high command that it may not take place ahead of the Assembly elections.
Days before the J&K review on June 27, a section of the state leaders was running a campaign against state unit chief Vikar Rasool Vani at a time when the high command had directed the UT unit to mobilise party workers.
Infighting in Haryana is nothing new but resurfaced recently over the Lok Sabha results with senior leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala voicing concern over the exit of Kiran Chaudhary, who joined the BJP.
Kiran was upset as her daughter Shruti Chaudhary had been denied a Lok Sabha ticket from Bhiwani seat and over the fact that the camp of former Chief Minister BS Hooda had a say in the distribution of tickets. Selja was of the view that the Congress could not win more than 5 out of 10 Lok Sabha seats due to faulty ticket distribution. Hooda had hit back saying if anyone had an issue over tickets, they should speak to the high command which approved the nominations.
"All of us have to work together and ensure that all the 36 communities in the state support the Congress in the coming assembly polls. A clear directive was issued to all leaders to avoid making any public statements regarding any differences or internal matters of the party. We have to be united and defeat the BJP. We are going to form the next government with over 70 of the 90 seats,” AICC in-charge Haryana Dipak Babaria told ETV Bharat.
