Chandigarh: The Haryana Congress party's internal conflict over its Chief Ministerial candidate has come to the forefront, with senior leader Kumari Selja publicly expressing her ambition for the role. Selja, when asked about the party's CM candidate, emphasized that the decision rests with the party high command but questioned the objection to a Dalit becoming the Chief Minister. She remarked, “A decision on the CM candidate will be taken by the party high command, but what’s wrong if I want to become CM? Why can’t a Dalit become CM?”

Selja acknowledged internal disagreements regarding ticket distribution but assured that such issues are common in any party. She expressed confidence that these matters would be resolved and that the Congress would enter the upcoming Haryana elections with a united front. “Every party has differences over ticket distribution, but we all will fight unitedly for the victory of the party,” Selja added.

The dispute between Selja and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also vying for the CM position, has been ongoing. In the party's first list of candidates released on Sunday, the Congress announced names for 41 seats, including nine new candidates for key constituencies such as Tosham and Gurugram. Hooda has been fielded from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, a seat significant due to his prominence within the Jat community, which comprises 25% of Haryana’s population. This is particularly relevant as the BJP has struggled with Jat support in the state.

The Congress party will contest the upcoming Assembly elections independently after seat-sharing discussions with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) failed. Despite an alliance during the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, where Congress allocated one seat to AAP, the two parties have not reached an agreement for the Haryana Assembly elections.

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