Haryana Congress legislator Gokul Setia has organized a protest outside the state Congress office in Chandigarh on Wednesday. This protest follows cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha elections and the cancellation of votes by state Congress MLAs. Setia has invited other Congress MLAs wrongly implicated on social media to join the protest.
Setia, representing the Sirsa Assembly seat, emphasized his good relations with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He refuted claims of cross-voting for the Congress as baseless allegations circulating on social media. Setia urged the Congress to publicly identify the legislators who worked against the party’s interests in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
Expressing dissatisfaction with internal party actions, Setia called for the removal of legislators who voted against the party candidates in the state’s Rajya Sabha polls. The protest underscores ongoing tensions within the Haryana Congress, with Setia feeling neglected despite his electoral victory in the Sirsa Assembly seat. Despite having the numerical advantage, the Congress secured only one seat in the recent Haryana Rajya Sabha polls.
Cross-voting has led to embarrassment for the Congress, revealing factionalism within the party’s Haryana unit. While discussions revolve around five Congress MLAs involved in cross-voting, their identities remain undisclosed by the party. Social media speculation has linked Gokul Setia to the cross-voting controversy, although this remains unconfirmed. When questioned in Chandigarh, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda refrained from revealing the names, stating they have been forwarded to the Congress high command.
