Ashok Tanwar: Congress facing existential crisis

Former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, who tendered his resignation from party's primary membership on Saturday, has targeted his rivals within the party saying "big leaders" will face defeat in the assembly polls and they were contributing to the dream of those who want to make India "Congress-free".

Addressing a press conference here, Tanwar said the party is facing "existential crisis" because of "internal problems and contradictions" and also alleged that leaders like him had been "politically murdered".

He said leaders whom former party chief Rahul Gandhi had groomed were being killed politically by hatching a conspiracy and took names of former Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam and former Jharkhand party chief Ajoy Kumar. "Who all are doing this, we all know," he said.

Tanwar said he has got offers from BJP and other parties but has decided not to join any party.

"Many forces say that the country should be made Congress-free. The country will not be 'Congress-free' because of these forces but because of some people within the Congress who want to make Bharat and Haryana free of Congress," he said.

Tanwar, who was replaced as Haryana party chief last month, said he was pained at leaving the party.

"I am leaving Congress with utmost pain. Party is in existential crisis not because of these outside forces but because of internal problems and contradictions," he said.

Without taking any names, he said the fate of "big leaders" of the party will be known in twenty days.

"Today is October 5 the counting of votes will take place on October 24. Only 20 days are left, and we will come to know how big these leaders are no matter if they have lakhs and crores of rupees with them and have grand empires and big forces," said Tanwar.

Factionalism in Haryana Congress appears to have grown in the past five years when the party was out of power.

Tanwar said he and several leaders like him had been politically murdered within the Congress.

"I have given 26 years to the party. Some have been politically murdered including me while the others are on verge of dying. I have been politically murdered and the likes of Sanjay Nirupam, Ajoy Kumar have faced a similar fate. All those leaders whom the Rahul Gandhi has groomed are being killed by hatching a conspiracy," he said.

Tanwar said that people who were "well established in the system" exploit people to achieve their political objectives.

"They sit in AC rooms, go for foreign trips and remain aloof for 5 years. They return right before the polls and behave as if they are Gods and Goddesses but their deeds are demonic" he said.

Tanwar announced his resignation earlier in the day saying the party has drifted away from its basic principle and ideology. Voting for the 90-member Haryana Assembly elections will be held on October 21 and the counting of votes is scheduled on October 24.

( With inputs from ANI )