Senior Cong leader Kumari Selja not averse to contesting assembly election

Chandigarh, Aug 20 (PTI) Congress general secretary and party MP from Sirsa Kumari Selja Tuesday indicated she is not averse to contesting the October 1 Assembly polls.

"This was my desire earlier and even now," the former Union minister told reporters when asked she had said she wanted to contest state elections before she was elected MP from Sirsa in the Lok Sabha election held recently.

She was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the "Congress Sandesh Yatra".

She was accompanied by Congress general secretary and former Haryana minister Randeep Singh Surjewala who claimed the BJP was on its way out and will be reduced to single digit in the assembly election.

Selja, who is considered a bete noire of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Sirsa was a decision of the high command.

She said she would follow the high command's decision even in assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Surjewala said the time has come for the end of the BJP's "misrule" in Haryana as people have made up their mind to bring the Congress government. The final blow to BJP's misrule will be dealt by the people on October 1. The BJP will be reduced to single digit, Surjewala said.

Asked when will the Congress announce candidates, he said this will be decided by the central election committee, while indicating that the party may give good representation to the youth.

The people of Haryana including farmers, labourers, women, employees are fed up with BJP's "misrule", he alleged.

Selja said Congress is getting overwhelming public support.

People want a Congress government, she said.

Earlier, Selja and Surjewala paid rich tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 80th birth anniversary.

Braving inclement weather, they also took out a roadshow in Karnal along with Congress workers.

They alleged that the BJP failed to carry out any development in the state during 10 years of its rule. PTI SUN TIR TIR