Haryana Cong leader Tanwar and supporters protest outside Sonia's residence, target Hooda on ticket distribution

Infighting in the Haryana Congress reached the doorstep of party president Sonia Gandhi with former PCC chief Ashok Tanwar and his supporters protesting on Wednesday outside her 10 Janpath residence here alleging corruption in distribution of tickets for the upcoming assembly polls. As his supporters raised slogans against management committee chief Bhupender Hooda, Tanwar alleged that tickets were being distributed on whims and fancies and were being "sold", ignoring those who had worked for years.

People are saying that the ticket for the Sohna Assembly seat has been sold for Rs 5 crore, he said. "Some people said in Rohtak that the party had lost its way. When something is given to them, then the party is on the right path," Tanwar said in reference to Hooda's remarks at the August 18 'Maha Parivartan Rally' in Rohtak where he had said that the Congress had "lost direction".

"For five years and eight months we have shed blood and sweat," he said. In a bid to end factionalism in the party ahead of assembly polls in Haryana, the Congress last month named Kumari Selja chief of its state unit, replacing Tanwar, and appointed Hooda as chairperson of the election management committee.

Hooda had openly come out against Tanwar, who is known to be close to Rahul Gandhi and had been state unit chief since 2014. Tanwar's remarks came ahead of the release of the list of nominees by the party for the Assembly polls.

Hooda's supporters have claimed that the situation in the Congress worsened in Haryana due to Tanwar and he is blaming the former chief minister as he is upset at being removed from his post. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had appointed Hooda the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader, and by virtue of that leader of opposition in the state assembly.

The last date for filing nomination for the October 21 assembly polls is October 4. The counting of votes is on October 24. Hooda was the chief minister of Haryana for 10 years before the Congress was ousted in 2014 by the BJP.

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