Eyeing power in Haryana, Congress faces a problem of plenty as CM aspirants swell

Staking their respective claims for the apical post, they nevertheless besides made a communal refrain – that it is the Congress precocious bid that volition instrumentality the last telephone connected the contented successful the lawsuit of the party’s victory.

The starring front-runner successful this contention is the Leader of the Opposition successful the outgoing Assembly, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had been a two-time CM from 2005 till 2014. He has besides spearheaded the party’s run successful the Assembly polls and successful the caller Lok Sabha elections.

“I americium not retired yet. It is the Congress enactment that volition signifier the government. It volition beryllium the enactment precocious bid that volition determine who volition beryllium the main minister,” Hooda, 77, says.

His bete noire and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) wide caput and ex-Union minister, is besides being seen arsenic a large contender for the CM’s post. Apart from being a salient Dalit face, she is besides known for her proximity with the Gandhis.

“The Congress cannot regularisation retired my immense acquisition and my unquestionable loyalty towards the party. Selja is simply a loyal worker of the Congress and volition ever stay with the Congress. Everybody knows the determination astir who volition beryllium the Congress CM is ever taken by the enactment precocious command,” says Selja, 62.

There is besides a buzz successful the Congress circles that if Hooda bows retired of the CM race, his lad and Rohtak MP, Deepender Hooda, would look arsenic a “formidable claimant” for the CM’s chair.

On Selja’s bid to emblem her “seniority” and “loyalty” to reenforce her CM bid, Deepender says, “Whatever she (Selja) has said, determination is thing incorrect successful it. There is simply a due process successful Congress. The archetypal precedence is for the enactment to get a bulk and signifier the government. A gathering takes spot astatine the level of enactment precocious command, the elected MLAs are consulted and the last determination is taken by the enactment precocious command.”

In each his canvass rallies crossed the authorities though, Deepender maintained that “The BJP authorities is connected its mode retired successful Haryana – and the Congress is going to signifier its authorities nether Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s leadership.”

After casting his ballot successful his location turf, Kaithal, connected Saturday, Rajya Sabha MP and AICC wide caput Randeep Singh Surjewala stuck to his cautious line, saying “Having the CM ambition is not wrong. We volition judge the determination taken by Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for CM face”. Surjewala, 57, is considered by his aides arsenic a “dark horse” successful the race.

Party sources accidental the authorities Congress main and Dalit person Udai Bhan, a known Hooda loyalist, is besides 1 of the CM aspirants. Sources told The Indian Express that successful 1 of the meetings with the AICC leaders successful Delhi, Bhan had besides staked his assertion if the enactment would sanction a Dalit look arsenic the CM.

In the people of the Congress’s campaign, these leaders had often expressed their CM ambitions portion hoping that the enactment would clinch the polls.

While some Hooda and Deepender campaigned intensely on with Bhan crossed Haryana, Selja and Surjewala divided their clip betwixt Haryana and Delhi successful this period.

For the Lok Sabha polls, Hooda had campaigned crossed 8 Lok Sabha seats for the Congress candidates and successful Kurukshetra for the past state AAP’s nominee, but had stayed distant from Sirsa, Selja’s constituency.

On its part, the incumbent BJP has been hitting retired astatine the Congress for “factionalism and infighting” wrong its ranks.
Both Selja and Surjewala had wanted to contention the authorities Assembly polls, but the Congress enactment did not let them to bash it. Hooda besides got the lion’s stock successful summons distribution, getting the candidates of his prime successful 72 seats.

A elder Congress person told The Indian Express, “Claimants tin beryllium many, but what matters is who bash the elected MLAs privation arsenic their leader. Whoever is chosen arsenic the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) person is mostly considered to beryllium the enactment precocious command’s prime for the CM’s post. The last determination is taken by the precocious bid and everybody volition judge it, irrespective of their ambitions.”

Another elder Congress person said, “The enactment precocious bid is besides known to travel up with surprises similar what happened successful the 2005 polls. The enactment had past won 67 seats and Bhajan Lal was acceptable to beryllium the CM. But, astatine the past infinitesimal Bhupinder Hooda’s sanction was declared arsenic the CM. Anything tin happen, but 1 happening is sure: Hooda is not Bhajan Lal and the precocious bid besides knows it.”