Ignored and isolated, Sirsa MLA Setia slams Cong high command

Congress MLA from Sirsa, Gokul Setia, has been creating ripples in Haryana’s political circles with his recent activities — meeting the BJP’s Chief Minister, praising senior BJP leaders, and skipping Congress meetings. These actions had left many guessing his intentions. But on Sunday, Setia broke his silence and made his feelings known.

In a heartfelt social media post, Setia poured out his frustration and disappointment with the Congress. He alleged that during the last Assembly and municipal elections in Sirsa, no senior Congress leader supported him. Despite winning the Assembly election on his own, he claimed, there was no recognition or appreciation from the party leadership.

“Are only old and well-known leaders given importance? Don’t those of us who win seats from the ground level matter?” Setia questioned pointedly in his post.

He reminded the party that Sirsa was the only constituency where all other parties, including the BJP, joined forces to defeat him — yet he still emerged victorious. And even then, the Congress high command failed to acknowledge his win.

Setia also highlighted the lack of party support during the recent municipal elections. “No senior leader came to help me campaign. After we lost by just a small margin, no one even called to ask what happened,” he wrote. Meanwhile, he noted that even newly elected BJP municipal chairpersons are being granted meetings with the Prime Minister.

His candid post received a mixed response online. While some supporters lashed out at the Congress leadership and encouraged Setia to stay strong and continue working for the people, others speculated that he was planning to switch sides to the BJP. They pointed to his actions as signs of a “double-sided political character.”

Locals offered a nuanced view. They observed that the Setia family has long depended on its personal voter base rather than party loyalty — whether in Congress or BJP. Though Setia won on a Congress ticket, they say he has never cultivated deep ties with local Congress leaders or participated actively in party events.

Fuelling the speculation further are earlier videos of Setia praising Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, which have gone viral. He has not shied away from expressing his admiration for Saini, and BJP leaders have reciprocated with praise for Setia’s work ethics. Former Haryana minister Aseem Goyal and former Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal have both publicly acknowledged his efforts.

In fact, Setia recently shared a Facebook video of Duggal praising him, with the caption: “Thank you, Aunty ji.”

Political observers haven’t forgotten how, after the 2019 Assembly elections — when the BJP fell short of a majority with just 40 seats — support first came from Sirsa’s Gopal Kanda (HLP) and ndependent MLA Ranjeet Singh Chautala from Rania. Sunita Duggal had personally flown both leaders to Delhi in a private jet, a moment that went viral in a photo at the time. The BJP later secured the support of the JJP, which had won 10 seats.

Now, as Gokul Setia’s public frustration with the Congress grows more visible, all eyes are on his next political move.

Haryana Tribune