Venod’s entry into Cong only after Sonia’s nod: Tanwar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

The return of former Union minister Venod Sharma into the Congress would need the approval of AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Ashok Tanwar said here today.

“It is an established practice in the Congress that the entry of former MPs and MLAs into the party fold is facilitated after AICC chief’s concurrence,” Tanwar told The Tribune here today.

Claiming that “any leader reposing faith in the party leadership and wanting to strength the party was welcome in the Congress”, Tanwar, however, claimed that there was nothing “official” about Sharma’s proposed entry into the party.

It may be recalled that a meeting between former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Sharma on September 16 has led to speculation about former Union minister’s ‘homecoming’ in the party. However, Sharma had claimed it was a courtesy call on Hooda and there was “nothing political” about the meeting.

Recently, several former MLAs had joined the Congress at functions where Tanwar was conspicuous by his absence. While Hooda had facilitated the entry of two INLD MLAs — Ashok Kashyap and BL Saini — into the Congress, Rajya Sabha member and Hooda’s bete noire Kumari Selja was instrumental in the entry of Jasbir Malour, former BJP MLA, into the party.

In fact, when Kuldeep Bishnoi-led HJC merged with the Congress, Hooda was among prominent absentees at 10, Janpath, New Delhi, Sonia Gandhi’s residence, where the formal merger was reportedly announced.