PM Modi at a poll rally in Haryana's Hisar
Stressing on stability and continuity in governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spotlighted the alleged infighting within the Haryana unit of the Congress ahead of the October 5 elections.
Claiming that a party that "cannot bring unity among its leaders", the Prime Minister asked how will the Congress be able to bring stability to the state. The BJP has been in power in the state for last 10 years.
"Where there is Congress, there can never be stability. How can a party that cannot bring unity among its leaders bring stability in the state? There is a fight going on within the Congress as to who will become the Chief Minister," claimed PM Modi at a Jan Ashirwad rally in Hisar city.
"The father is a claimant, the son is also a claimant. Both of them are together trying to deal with the rest," said PM Modi referencing former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and his son Deepender.
Earlier this week, Congress MP Kumari Selja, a prominent Dalit face of the party, told NDTV that "there are issues... serious issues" that need to be resolved. She did go into the details but said the senior Congress leadership "is working on" the problems.
"I made it very clear... even before the Lok Sabha election... I want to serve the people of Haryana as a legislator rather than MP. But the general election came first. So the party decided, I decided, we all decided, that I should contest that election," the 62-year-old leader told NDTV this week amid rumours that she is sulking and has opted not to campaign for the polls.
The BJP saw an opportunity and sprang to her defence, saying the Congress leader has been "disrespected". An invitation to join the BJP followed. Ms Selja laughed off such talk and invited the BJP, instead, to "first set their own house in order".
Rahul Gandhi, at the Haryana Congress manifesto launch event in Delhi today, said the Congress' "incoming government" in Haryana will end "the decade of pain".
Predicting a "massive mandate" for the Congress in the Haryana state polls, Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday said the final decision on the chief ministerial pick would be taken by the party high command and it would be acceptable to him.
Dismissing talk of infighting, Mr Hooda, 77, said the Congress was united in Haryana and claimed that the party would derive more strength from having multiple claimants for the chief minister's post.
Asked about senior leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala also airing their chief ministerial ambitions, Mr Hooda said, "It is a good thing. If you do not have 'ichcha (ambition)' in politics, then your politics will become stagnant. More the claimants, more the strength we (Congress) will derive," he said.
The votes for the 90-member assembly will be counted on October 8.