Six-time former legislator and ex-minister Sampat Singh resigned from the Congress on Sunday, accusing senior Haryana leaders of sabotaging party candidates during the 2024 Assembly elections. The 76-year-old leader emailed his resignation to national president Mallikarjun Kharge, alleging that loyalists of state leadership were fielded as Independent candidates to ensure Congress defeats. He claimed capable candidates were ignored while those with money and power received tickets. Singh also highlighted how prominent leaders like former Chief Ministers Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal's family members, along with Kuldeep Bishnoi and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, were forced out over two decades. The Congress denied Singh a ticket for both 2019 and 2024 elections despite his requests to contest from Adampur or Nalwa in Hisar district. He had briefly joined BJP in 2019 before returning to Congress in August 2022. Singh's resignation came a month after he criticized the appointment of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as Legislature Party leader.
Allegations of Electoral Mismanagement and Favouritism
In his resignation letter, Singh accused the state leadership of mishandling the 2024 Assembly elections despite every survey predicting a Congress victory. He claimed that close aides of senior leaders were deliberately fielded as Independents in multiple constituencies to defeat official Congress candidates. Singh alleged that candidate selection prioritized money and power over capability. He pointed out that despite winning from Nalwa in 2009 on a Congress ticket, he was denied a Cabinet position in the Hooda government. Singh claimed he was promised the Fatehabad seat but assigned Nalwa instead, and his shift caused Congress to lose Fatehabad despite his five previous victories there. He stated his political influence helped Congress win about half a dozen additional seats.
Criticism of Leadership and Marginalization of Leaders
Singh sharply criticized the state leadership for marginalizing Kumari Selja, a six-term MP and prominent Dalit leader, despite Dalit voters helping Congress secure five Lok Sabha seats. He alleged that casteist remarks and derogatory videos against her were allowed to circulate, leading to Dalit resentment and boycott in Assembly elections. Singh claimed that after he worked as coordinator for Selja's campaign in Sirsa and attended her rally in Narnaund, the state leadership felt insecure and denied him a ticket. He took a veiled dig at Hooda, stating the leadership turned the national party into a regional family enterprise by nominating his son Deepender Singh Hooda for Rajya Sabha in 2020 instead of promoting deserving members from Scheduled or Backward Castes.
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