Tanwar backs JJP’s Dushyant, says Cong will bite dust

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 16

Five days to go for Haryana elections, former state Congress unit chief Ashok Tanwar today threw his weight behind JJP’s Dushyant Chautala and declared that the Congress would now fight to fill the third or the fourth slot in the state.

“The Congress will now vie for the third or fourth slot because we will begin our political bombardment from today to teach Congress’ arrogant state leaders a lesson. We have laid land mines all over Haryana and these arrogant people are bound to step on those mines. We will destroy our enemies. Starting today, we are launching a surgical strike on the corrupt leaders who inflamed caste passions in the state for political gains,” Tanwar said after declaring support to JJP on seats where the party is “strong”.

Tanwar made it clear that his support to JJP was issue based and seat specific and he would back other clean candidates wherever he could. “There is no need for us to join the JJP. We will support the JJP on seats that are enough for them to form a government and on other seats, we will support other good candidates. This is the start of a pan-India movement at nation building where we will bring young, clean leaders together for a political struggle,” said Tanwar when asked why he didn’t join the Dushyant outfit.

The new Jat-Dalit combination of Tanwar and Dushyant, candidate from Uchhana, spells trouble for the Congress, which was hoping to consolidate the two sections by putting senior SC leader and ex-minister Kumari Selja and former CM and Jat stalwart Bhupinder Singh Hooda in key positions ahead of state polls.

The Tanwar and Dushyant factor is set to change political equations in Haryana’s electoral landscape with Dushyant today saying, “Ashok Tanwar’s support can help us cross 75-plus mark.”

After Tanwar openly appealed to Haryana’s 36 castes to join hands and ensure Dushyant became the new Chief Minister, 

the latter promised a Sant Ravidas temple in Kurukshetra and appealed to Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s followers by raking the “Panchkula police firing that killed 40 dera premis”.