In a major development that comes just days ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, former Lok Sabha MP Ashok Tanwar rejoined the Congress on Thursday. This development deals a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He had quit Congress and joined BJP in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Tanwar returned to Congress in a program organized at Mahendargarh. He was welcomed back into the party fold by the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Tanwar was a Congress MP from Sirsa and won general elections in 2009. He was the Haryana Congress Chief from 2014 to 2019 and later quit the party. In 2021, he joined Trinamool Congress, and later in 2022 joined Aam Aadmi Party. Most recently, he also contested from Sirsa as a BJP candidate and lost to Congress’ Kumari Selja.
Congress was over the moon when Tanwar returned and welcomed him on social media platform X. “Congress has always fought for the rights of the oppressed and protected the Constitution. Impressed by our dedication, senior BJP leader Ashok Tanwar has rejoined the Congress.” So read a message from the party. “Your joining will strengthen the fight for the rights of Dalits. Welcome back to the Congress family.“
Tanwar’s return comes on the last day of campaigning for the Haryana assembly elections. At a rally in Nuh, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP government for ‘dismantling’ the Constitution. He said the aim of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was to spread love and unite the country while fighting against hate.
“We undertook a yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Whichever place the BJP spreads hate, we spread love. BJP and RSS are weakening the Constitution. Congress is fighting an ideological battle.”
Haryana goes to polls on October 5 to elect its 90-member legislative assembly, with counting slated to be held on October 8. In the 2019 election, BJP emerged as the largest party with 40 seats, while Congress won 30.
ANI
