New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Kumari Selja met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday, a day after she avowed her dedication to the party and dismissed talk of a possible switch to the BJP.
Selja put out pictures from the meeting on X in which Kharge is seen offering her something sweet to eat on her birthday.
“My heartfelt gratitude for the love and good wishes received from Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge on my birthday today,” she said in her post in Hindi along with a couple of pictures from the meeting.
A host of leaders, including her bete noire and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, wished Selja on her birthday.
Her meeting with Kharge came after most of her concerns were addressed by the top leadership and she announced on Monday that she would start campaigning for the Haryana polls.
Amid reports that she was disgruntled over ticket distribution for the polls, Selja on Monday dismissed talk of discord within the Congress ranks and said, “We will together form the government”.
Asked about the BJP’s recent overtures to her to join its ranks amid reports that she was discontented over ticket distribution for the Haryana Assembly polls, the Congress general secretary had said, “The BJP is probably more concerned. There are many things that go around within the party.
“We had worked to ensure the party’s victory earlier in Lok Sabha and later also…so that we strengthen the party on the ground, work for the people on the ground and taking that forward, we have to form a Congress government,” she said.
Selja had said she would start her campaign for the polls in two to three days.
“Since I was silent they (the BJP) started talking but there is no such thing, they also know it, they were also doing politics but they know and everyone knows, Selja is a Congressi,” she had told PTI videos.
On whether the perception of disgruntlement would help the BJP, she had said, “There is no such thing, we will together form the government.” Later, asked about the BJP leaders’ statements about her and the possibility of her switching sides, Selja said, “I have made it abundantly clear that I am a Congressperson, I will remain a Congressperson and the BJP is trying to hide its own shortcomings and that is why they are trying to divert attention to these kinds of issues.” Her remarks had come after party general secretary Randeep Surjewala had said that Sirsa MP Selja would campaign for the Congress and address a public meeting in Narwana this week.
The BJP has targeted the grand old party over alleged infighting amid reports that she was sulking.
Selja, 61, is a Congress general secretary and prominent Dalit face of the party. With Haryana going to polls on October 5, the ruling BJP has been targeting the Congress over the Dalit leader staying away from the poll campaign. PTI ASK RHL
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