Senior Congress leader and prominent Dalit face from Haryana Kumari Selja has addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding allegations of sidelining her within Haryana Congress. She unequivocally denied any intention to leave the party and reaffirmed her commitment to its cause.
In an interview with a news channel, Selja, who has twice served as Union Minister, made it clear that she remains loyal to the Congress and is still in the running for the Chief Minister’s post, should the party come to power in the upcoming state elections.
“There is no question of leaving the Congress. The party is in my blood,” Selja declared, brushing aside speculation about her political future. “Till his last breath, my father was a Congressman, and when he passed away, he was wrapped in the Congress flag. I will also leave this world draped in the Congress party’s flag. I am not going anywhere,” she said.
The remarks come amid rising tension within the Haryana Congress where former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is seen as dominating the party’s leadership, overshadowing other senior figures like Selja. There have been persistent rumours about Selja being sidelined, especially after reports of her absence from the campaign trail since mid-September. However, her latest statement has put those speculations to rest.
She refuted claims that she had been marginalized within the party. “I have always been respected in the Congress, and it is because of this respect that I have reached where I am today,” she said. “I was born in Congress… Our current focus is to bring Congress to power in Haryana, and that is what the people of this state want.”
She also took a veiled swipe at the BJP, which had offered her a chance to join their ranks. “BJP leaders should refrain from giving me advice,” she said, directly addressing Union Minister Manohar Lal’s public invitation for her to join the BJP. Selja has not hidden her ambitions to be the Chief Minister, should the Congress win the Haryana elections. She also disclosed that she was demanding a ticket from the Uklana (SC) seat.