Senior journalist Ashok Wankhede made shocking allegations against Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, accusing him of engaging in casting couch practices during ticket distribution during the Haryana Assembly Polls. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s media cell, shared a video on his X account where Wankhede can be seen saying, "Why should the people of Haryana elect the girlfriend of a General Secretary? Keep your relations at your house."
Malviya attacked the Congress party and questioned its silence over the serious allegations through his post, which was captioned as, "Senior journalist and Congress apologist Ashok Wankhede continues to repeat his charge of casting couch against Congress leader KC Venugopal. But there is deafening silence. No one is rubbishing Wankhede, let alone defend. Is KCV isolated in the Congress? He is Rahul’s go to man."
Earlier, in a viral video, Wankhede can be heard questioning Venugopal's integrity, asking, "Has Haryana become a hub of debauchery for you?" He goes on to suggest that Venugopal favoured a female colleague in the ticket distribution process, stating, "There’s a female associate of KC Venugopal—now that she’s a woman, you understand what that implies."
Congress' Failure In Haryana Assembly Polls
The Congress Party suffered a major setback in the Haryana Assembly elections, with the defeat coming as an unexpected blow. The party had been so confident about its chances that it seemed almost certain of a win. Before the elections, there had been intense infighting between senior Congress leaders Bhupinder Hooda and Kumari Selja, each vying to become the next Chief Minister.
However, the election results upended all expectations, leaving Congress in a weakened position against the BJP once again, a trend that has persisted over the last few years. This defeat has put a dent in the Congress Party's growth trajectory, forcing introspection and raising questions about its internal functioning.
Allegations Against KC Venugopal
Amid this introspection, Wankhede's allegations have added fuel to the fire. He accused Venugopal of pushing for the nomination of a female candidate, despite widespread opposition in Haryana. Wankhede questions why Venugopal insisted on her ticket, implying that his personal relationship with her influenced the decision. According to Wankhede, Venugopal was more concerned with securing tickets for his female friends than with the party's larger interests.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized upon these allegations, with Amit Malviya, posting about the controversy on X (formerly Twitter). Malviya pointed out that Ashok Wankhede is standing by his allegations of casting couch against Venugopal, and he criticised Congress for its silence on the matter, stating that the party's lack of response lends credibility to the claims.
He also noted that this is not the first time such accusations have surfaced; Congress member Simi Rose Bell and former two-time Haryana MLA Sharda Rathore had previously confirmed the existence of casting couch practices within the party.
Following the defeat in Haryana, Venugopal has come under increasing scrutiny. Party leaders, including Randeep Surjewala, have raised questions about his leadership. Surjewala remarked that Venugopal, a close associate of Rahul Gandhi, has now completed five years as the party’s General Secretary of Organisation, and it is time for the party to reevaluate his position, based on the rules set during the party’s previous introspection sessions.
