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Updated: Mar 30, 2019 10:21 IST

Setting aside the factionalism within the state unit, Haryana Congress leaders presented a united face during party president Rahul Gandhi’s visit on Friday.

It is probably for the first time after 2014 general elections that all senior leaders of the party, including former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his son and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary, Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja, Congress communication in-charge and Kaithal MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala, former Rewari MLA and senior Congress leader Capt Ajay Yadav and Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, were seen sharing a stage.

Former MP and Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, who had been conspicuous by his absence in several party events over the past few months, also put an end to all speculations by boarding the Parivartan Yatra bus from Kurukshetra. Interacting with mediapersons, Bishnoi said, “I am a soldier of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi is my leader. I will always remain with him. The BJP is spreading misinformation about me. I have no rift with anyone.”

Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Tanwar, who had been unable to constitute district and state units of the party for the last five years due to infighting, said, “I would like to thank (Ghulam Nabi) Azad ji for bringing us all together after such a long time. Now, we are a united team and will defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”

The party leaders also spoke in unison against the BJP government at the Centre and state. Tanwar said, “The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government has burnt the state thrice and has being indulging in divisive politics.”

Selja also took made a scathing attack on the Khattar government, stating that it was helping the mafia, which is functioning without any fear of lawenforcement agencies in the state.

She further said that the BJP government wants to “ruin” the farmers. “The BJP government has scraped the Dadupur-Nalvi irrigation scheme by denotifying 1, 019 acres of land. This scheme was a lifeline for farmers of Ambala, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra,” she said.

Attacking the government at the Centre, Selja said, “Forty percent industries in the region get affected due demonetisation and GST. The BJP government has not utilised the money allotted under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and they talks about developing smart cities.”

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress has always worked for the poor and farmers.

“Rahul ji, the farm community is looking at you. Please save the farmers of the country. Sugar farmers are in distress and their payments are not being made by the Haryana government,” said Hooda.

CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary urged the people of Kurukshetra to elect Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra in parliamentary polls.

Party’s communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala, Kuldeep Bishnoi and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda did not get a chance to address the rally due to time shortage.