Ashok Tanwar's Dramatic Return to Congress Ahead of Haryana Assembly Elections

In a significant development just two days before the Haryana Assembly elections, former BJP leader and ex-MP Ashok Tanwar made a surprise return to the Congress party. This move is seen as a major blow to the BJP and a potential boost for the Congress in its bid to regain power in the state.

Tanwar, a prominent Dalit leader and former Haryana Congress president, rejoined the Congress at a rally led by Rahul Gandhi in Mahendragarh district on Thursday. The announcement was made as Gandhi was concluding his speech, with Tanwar walking onto the stage to a warm welcome from Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda and KC Venugopal.

Tanwar's political journey has been marked by frequent party switches. He left the Congress in 2019 due to differences with Hooda and subsequently joined the Trinamool Congress briefly before moving to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2022. Earlier this year, he joined the BJP in the presence of then Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

The timing of Tanwar's return is crucial, coming just hours before the campaigning for the Haryana Assembly polls was set to end. His endorsement of a BJP candidate just an hour before his switch to the Congress highlights the dramatic nature of his 'ghar wapsi' (homecoming) to the party.

Tanwar's return is expected to energize the Congress's campaign in Haryana, where the party is seeking to unseat the BJP after a decade. His influence as a Dalit leader could be significant in swaying votes, especially given his previous roles and connections within the state.

The Haryana Assembly elections are scheduled for October 5, with the counting of votes set for October 8. The elections will be held in a single phase, and the outcome is highly anticipated given the political dynamics at play.

Tanwar's political career includes winning the Sirsa parliamentary seat in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections but losing in subsequent elections. His recent switch from the BJP to the Congress underscores the fluid nature of political alliances in Indian politics, often influenced by regional and national dynamics. For more on the complexities of Indian political parties and their histories, see the politics of India.

The reaction from other Congress leaders has been positive, with many seeing this as a strategic move to bolster the party's chances in the upcoming elections. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera took a dig at former Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, highlighting the irony of the BJP losing a key Dalit leader despite claims of gaining support from the community.

As the Haryana Assembly elections approach, this development adds a new layer of intrigue to the political landscape, potentially impacting the electoral outcomes and the future political alignments in the state.

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