The Hindu : International : Congress approves merger of Haryana Vikas Party

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Friday, Oct 15, 2004

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International

Congress approves merger of Haryana Vikas Party

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. In a move aimed at consolidation ahead of the next year Assembly elections, the Congress today formally approved the merger of the Haryana Vikas Party of Bansi Lal with the party.

At a formal function at the All-India Congress Committee headquarters here, the HVP secretary-general, Surinder Singh, along with hundreds of his workers and supporters, announced the move.

The External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, the AICC general secretary, Janardhan Dwivedi, who is also in-charge of the party affairs in the State, the Haryana Pradesh Congress chief, Bhajan Lal, senior leader Birender Singh, the Legislature Party leader, Ajay Yadav, and party MPs, Kuldeep Bishnoi Avtar Singh Bhadana and Arvind Sharma, were present.

Unanimous resolution

Mr. Dwivedi said the HVP president, Bansi Lal, had authorised his son, Mr. Surinder Singh, to take a decision on the issue of merger. The HVP's executive committee met here this afternoon and unanimously resolved to merge the party with the Congress.

The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, had formally cleared the merger last Saturday when Mr. Surinder Singh and his wife, Kiran Chaudhary, former Delhi Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker, called on her. On his part, Mr. Singh assured the assembled party leaders that the workers of the HVP would now work along with the Congress.

Bansi Lal's assurance

Welcoming the merger, Mr. Bansi Lal said the Congress would gain from the merger and promised to carry all along. However, when reminded by a correspondent about his recent statement in which said the doors of the Congress were closed for the HVP, Mr. Dwivedi intervened to say that the remark was much before the party president gave a green signal for the merger.

Later, addressing the huge turnout of supporters Mr. Surinder Singh said that having arrived in the AICC carrying the HVP flags, they should leave with a flag of the Congress. Mr. Singh's admission also brought into focus, the factional pulls in the party and in a way acknowledged by Mr. Dwivedi who said that the party has at least six Chief Ministerial candidates was a reflection of its strength.

The HVP of Mr. Bansi lal came to power in 1996 forming a coalition Government in Haryana along with the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, in 1999, the BJP snapped ties and the Bansi Lal Government, which was reduced to a minority, was bailed out by the Congress. In the subsequent Assembly polls, the HVP fared miserably. In the recent general elections, the HVP contested nine of the 10 Lok Sabha but got a mere 6.25 per cent votes, about 5 lakh votes, and half of it were polled by Mr. Surinder Singh.

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