Haryana polls: Ashok Tanwar quits Congress, exposes internal 'lobbies'

In a huge setback to the Congress party ahead of assembly polls in Haryana, its former state chief Ashok Tanwar has resigned from the party on Saturday. Even as the Congress party named its former Haryana chief as a star campaigner for the upcoming assembly polls, he has resigned saying that reasons to quit the party are known to all. His decision comes amid reports of tussle in the Haryana Congress between Tanwar and Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Days ahead of the move by Tanwar, he was also removed from the post of Haryana Congress chief, and Kumari Selja was named as the party's state president.

Congress to replace its Haryana chief Ashok Tanwar: Sources

Making a scathing attack on the party, Tanwar, in his resignation letter titled 'Resignation from party's primary membership, said that the Congress party is going through an 'existential crisis'. He added that it is because of the 'internal contradictions' in the party. He said that Congress has now become ''anti-thesis of democracy and plagued by feudal attitudes." He went on to add that as per his experience in the past few years the internal democracy in the party is 'killed by few lobbies'. He has also said: "Haryana is the epitome of this conspiracy to destroy the Congress nurtured by top leadership."

Below is Tanwar's full resignation letter:

Congress releases list of 40 campaigners for the upcoming elections

Congress infighting 

There has been infighting within the Congress in the poll-bound states of Maharashtra and Haryana. While in Haryana there has been a divide, with one group supporting Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the other Ashok Tanwar, in Maharashtra, former Mumbai chief of the party Sanjay Nirupam has revolted openly against the party. A long-drawn tussle has been going on between Nirupam and another Congress leader Milind Deora. Addressing a press conference just a day ahead of Tanwar's resignation, Nirupam said that the Congress party's central leadership is surrounded by sycophants. He had added that Tawar, as well as, former Tripura Congress chief Pradyot Debbarman who resigned recently, also has the same complaint regarding the party. Both Nirupam and Tanwar, earlier, withdrew themselves from campaigning for the party in the upcoming elections. 

Former Haryana CM Hooda performs Hawan before filing nomination

Haryana state elections

The Election Commission on September 21 announced the dates for the upcoming Assembly polls for Haryana and Maharashtra. Polling on the 90 seats of Haryana will take place on October 21 and counting will take place on October 24. The term of Haryana assembly expires on November 2. Below is the detailed schedule of the upcoming elections: 

• Gazette Notification to be issued: September 27.

• Last date of nominations: October 4.

• Date for Scrutiny of Nomination - October 5

• Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures - October 7

• Polling on all 90 seats: October 21

• Results of the elections: October 24

• Conclusion of elections: October 27

BJP releases list of 40 star campaigners for upcoming Haryana polls