Kumari Selja interview: ‘In Haryana Cong, it is totally one-sided now, a monopoly, which won’t bring desired Assembly poll results’

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and party MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja, is set to kick off a padyatra (foot march) by July- end with the objective to strengthen the Congress in urban belts across Haryana in the run-up to the state Assembly elections slated for October this year.

Selja’s yatra would be a parallel exercise to the “Haryana Maange Hisab” campaign being undertaken by the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) to corner the BJP-led government in the state. The campaign was launched by Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda on July 15 from Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s constituency, Karnal. Deepender is the son of Congress veteran and ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Selja, an open critic of Bhupinder Hooda, spoke on a range of issues, batting for “structural changes” in the state Congress, which has been dominated by the Hooda camp. Excerpts:

When are you launching your padyatra in Haryana?

The final modalities for the padyatra are being worked out. The preparations are almost done. I am expecting that it shall be launched by the end of this month. The yatra shall be focusing on the urban Assembly constituencies of Haryana.

Why do you think the Congress needs to focus more on urban areas than rural ones?

The results of Lok Sabha polls have shown that BJP had led in these areas (urban Assembly segments). We (Congress) need to work harder to change that. As such there is this changing scenario across the country and the way BJP has been put on the back foot in recent bypolls too will also have a great impact in the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls. There is already a change in people’s mindset, be it in rural or