Haryana Cong chief dismisses allegations of demanding money for assembly ticket

Chandigarh, Mar 9 (PTI) Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh on Monday dismissed as “baseless” the allegations that money was demanded from a couple in exchange for an assembly election ticket.

Speaking to PTI, Singh said there was no truth in the allegations made by the husband of a former Haryana Mahila Congress leader.

“Where were they for the past one-and-a-half years? They had met me earlier, and she (former Haryana Mahila Congress leader) had expressed a desire to become the Haryana Mahila Congress president. I told her that this would be decided by the party,” he said.

“I think since she was not made the Mahila Congress state chief, they are now making such baseless allegations. There is no truth in them,” he added.

Singh added that he had learnt that the Mahila Congress leader in question had resigned. After the allegations surfaced, the BJP also attacked the Congress.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari had earlier alleged that Gaurav Kumar claimed the Gandhi family tried to “extort” Rs 7 crore from the couple in exchange for giving his wife a party ticket from the Bawal Assembly constituency.

Speaking at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Bhandari said Kumar had shared alleged WhatsApp chats involving personal assistants of senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and described them as “prima facie proof” of corruption.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also cited Kumar’s claims to allege that the Congress was “corrupt to the core”.

Trivedi also referred to remarks by former Punjab Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who had earlier claimed that at least an amount of Rs 500 crore was required to secure the chief minister’s post in the party. PTI SUN VSD OZ OZ