HR Cong rifts widens, Hooda faction seeks leadership change

The rift within Haryana Congress widened today with the former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led faction seeking ouster of party's state unit chief Ashok Tanwar and its legislature party leader Kiran Choudhary.
The Hooda faction demanded ouster of Tanwar and Chaudhary in the wake of lodging of an FIR recently in Delhi against the former CM and his son and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda allegedly for inciting their supporters to make casteist remarks against Tanwar at a rally in Delhi last year.
The allegations made in FIR have been refuted by both the father-son duo with their loyalist MLAs vowing for their innocence and alleging Tanwar behind the move.

The rift within the Congress came in the open on a day Haryana Assembly bagan its budget sessions with the MLAs loyal to Hooda meeting his residence and describing it as Congress' Legislature Party meet, even as Choudhary junked its significance, saying she had convened no meeting.
The MLAs who attended the meeting at Hooda's residence and demanded a change in the state Congress leadership included former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, besides Anand Singh Dangi, Raghubir Singh Kadian and Geeta Bhukkal.
Later at a press conference at Hooda's residence with the ex-CM remaining conspicuous by his absence, Sharma said, "The atmosphere that they (Tanwar and Kiran) have created within the party is such that one cannot even sit and discuss things. We all will apprise our party high command about it."

Referring to the case against Hooda and his son, Sharma said, "Can it be ever believed that a person like Hooda will incite people to make remarks against anyone's caste. These developments have caused a setback to the party's unity."

"I am saying that Congress' present leadership (in Haryana) be changed," he said.
Another senior Haryana Congress leader Anand Singh Dangi too supported Sharma's demand saying "party president and CLP leader must be changed immediately."
Giving vent to his ire against Tanwar, Sharma said, "You get registered a false case against a person who has been the CM for ten years and then you expect us to sit with you (Tanwar and Kiran) people.