Cong secures family loyalist Selja in RS

Update: 2014-01-29 00:16 GMT
The fortunes of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) alliance are on an upswing in Haryana and they may emerge with major gains in 2014 polls. Given Selja’s strained relations with Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, coming to Rajya Sabha is being viewed as a suitable and safe option. Selja has also quit the union council of ministers to work in Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s team. Selja, who has held the social justice and empowerment portfolio since October 2012, submitted her resignation to PM Manmohan Singh on Monday night, sources close to her said on Tuesday.

‘I have been given the responsibility by the Congress high command which I will perform sincerely,’ Selja said, adding that, earlier as an MP, she was confined to working for the betterment of her Ambala constituency. But now, with an RS seat, she would have an opportunity to serve the entire state of Haryana.

Besides Selja, the Congress also nominated Sultanpur MP Sanjay Singh from Assam, besides re-nominating Assam PCC chief Bhubaneswar Kalita from the state. Sanjay Singh hails from Amethi and holds considerable influence there. Sanjay Singh was upset as his wife Amita Singh had lost in the last assembly polls from Amethi seat. They had blamed Rahul Gandhi’s close associates for the defeat.

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