Friday, Aug 09, 2013
Senior ruling Congress party leader Rao Inderjit Singh Friday dropped a bombshell by openly praising the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.
Singh, a former federal minister, has been cut up with the parent party ever since he was denied ministerial berth in the Manmohan Singh government in the second tenure of the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, apparently at the behest of the Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Singh currently represents Gurgaon constituency in the Lok Sabha.
“There is talk of Modi in the entire Hindi belt. We have to wait and see if it remains there will the Haryana assembly elections,” Singh said.
Singh is among several senior Congress party leaders of Haryana feeling sidelines and suffocated due to chief minister Hooda’s alleged autocratic style of functioning.
Singh refused to divulge details of his plans, after going out of his way in praising Modi, which is anathema in the Congress party considering he is likely to be projected by India’s principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its prime ministerial candidate. However, sources close to him say he is just fired a test balloon and would like to indulge in hard bargaining before making up his mind.
Singh just said that he has all his options open at this stage. He had floated his own Insaaf Manch (justice forum) earlier this year and has since been mulling options whether he should convert it into an independent political outfit.
“It is highly unlikely that he would continue in the Congress party. He hasn’t resigned from it only because he does not want to give up his post as member of parliament.
“He may either join BJP or convert Insaaf Manch into a political party and align with it,” said sources close to him.
Singh, 62, is the most renowned leader of south Haryana and commands immense respect due to his royal lineage.
According to sources, Singh has demanded Gurgoan Lok Sabha seat for himself and promise of nominations for about 10 of his followers in the Haryana legislative assembly elections for the BJP. While Lok Sabha elections are due in April next year, it would be followed by assembly polls in Haryana in October.
Singh’s possible entry in the BJP will give a big boost to the party in Haryana and send positive signal about Modi’s acceptability as a national leader. Sources say it may also open the floodgates for several other anguished Congress party leaders like Chaudhary Birender Singh who also is annoyed with Hooda’s style of functioning.
Sources close to Rao Inderjit Singh said that he has the offer from the regional Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) too. INLD is in a limbo with its two top leaders former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Singh Chautala, the INLD president and general secretary, languishing in jail after their conviction in a corruption case.
By Ajay Jha Chief Correspondent
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
