"Feeling Stifled and Humiliated" - Kiran Choudhry and Daughter Quit Congress

The Congress party in Haryana has suffered a significant blow as senior leader and Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry and her daughter Shruti, who served as a working president of the state unit, have decided to part ways with the party. In their resignation letters, they expressed feeling "stifled and humiliated" within the state Congress unit, accusing it of being run as a "personal fiefdom" that left no space for them to raise their voices for the people they represented. 

Kiran Choudhry, who has been associated with the Congress for four decades, addressed her resignation letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge. She stated that she was being "conspired against in a well-orchestrated and systematic manner" and had "chosen to look ahead at a fresh start." Kiran, the daughter-in-law of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal, considered the architect of modern Haryana, mentioned this fact in her letter. 

Meanwhile, Shruti Choudhry, a former MP from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat, targeted the Congress in her resignation letter, saying the party had become "one person-centric who has compromised the interest of the party for his selfish and petty interests," though she did not name anyone specifically.

Sources close to the Choudhrys revealed that one of the primary reasons for their exit was the denial of a ticket to Shruti from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat, despite party surveys giving her a 56% chance of winning, as opposed to the official candidate, Rao Dan Singh, who had only a 32% chance. Furthermore, during the campaigning phase, the Choudhrys were allegedly ignored, even though Bhiwani is considered their stronghold. After the Congress candidate's loss, the party allegedly attempted to shift the blame onto Shruti, even though the candidate lost in his own booth and constituency.

The constant "humiliation" of being sidelined during the campaign is believed to have forced the Choudhrys to explore other options. They are now set to join the BJP in Delhi today. 

For the BJP, the induction of the mother-daughter duo comes as an opportunity to make up for the loss of Jat leader Birender Singh and his son, former Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, who had joined the Congress before the elections. Sources suggest that Kiran Choudhry could be considered for the Rajya Sabha seat that fell vacant following Deepender Hooda's election as the Lok Sabha MP from Rohtak, while her daughter Shruti could receive an Assembly ticket.

With Kiran Choudhry's resignation from the Congress, it remains to be seen whether she will also resign from the Vidhan Sabha as an MLA.

The departures of Kiran and Shruti Choudhry have further exposed the divide within the Haryana Congress, which is essentially split into two factions – one led by the Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender, and the other comprising senior leaders like Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, and former Union minister Birender Singh and his son Brijendra.