There are assembly elections in Haryana. By winning these elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to form the government for the third consecutive time, while the Congress is also trying to overcome factionalism and carry forward the momentum gained in the Lok Sabha elections. Factionalism has been the biggest problem for the Congress in Haryana. In party meetings, pictures of former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala together are coming out, an attempt is being made to give the message that everyone is together. Now the formula that the party has given for ticket distribution is also being linked to the strategy of giving the message of ‘all is well’ in Haryana Congress.
Babaria told this formula for ticket distribution
Haryana Congress in-charge Deepak Babaria has clearly said that no sitting MP of the party will be given ticket in the assembly elections. Talking to reporters after the screening committee meeting, he said that if there is any urgent need, they will have to take permission from party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Sitting MLAs will be denied ticket only if there is anti-incumbency against them. Deepak Babaria also said that discussions have taken place regarding 10-15 seats but it will take a few more days to take a final decision.
Is Congress making way for Hooda?
After this announcement by Haryana Congress in-charge Deepak Babaria, questions are being raised whether Congress is making way for former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda? These questions are being raised because there are two factions in Haryana Congress. One faction is of former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda and his son Deependra Singh Hooda and the other faction is of Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala. Kumari Selja has reached the Parliament from Sirsa seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. At the same time, Surjewala is also already a Rajya Sabha MP. Now if Congress is talking about the formula of not giving tickets to MPs in the assembly elections, then it directly means that both Kumari Selja and Surjewala will be out of the race for tickets.
Expressing her intention to contest the assembly elections, Kumari Selja had also said, “I feel there is a need to work in the Haryana Assembly. I have expressed my desire to the high command. It is up to the high command to accept or reject it.” Talking to a newspaper after the latest announcement of the Haryana Congress in-charge, she said, “Deepak Babaria has said that no MP will contest the elections and if anyone wants to contest, he will have to take permission from the high command. I have already said that I want to contest the assembly elections. I contested the Lok Sabha elections on the orders of the high command and if I get permission, I will contest the assembly elections as well.”
If Shailja is no longer an MLA, her claim will weaken
Kumari Selja also understands that if there are no MLAs, then the claim for the post of Chief Minister will be weak. The past of Congress in Haryana tells this. In the 1968 elections of Haryana Assembly, the first Chief Minister of the state Bhagwat Dayal Sharma and Chaudhary Devi Lal, both were strong contenders for the post of Chief Minister. Congress did not give ticket to either of them in the assembly elections. Chaudhary Devi Lal took charge of the campaign and sought votes for Congress candidates in the entire state. After the victory of Congress, Sharma claimed the support of 33 MLAs and staked claim for the post of CM, while Devi Lal camped in Delhi. After this, the Congress leadership announced that the new CM will be chosen from among the MLAs.
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If there is a dispute for the CM post after the Haryana elections, then it may be a matter of choosing the CM from among the MLAs. Even if this happens, Bhupendra Hooda’s claim will remain strong because if the tickets are distributed as per Babaria’s formula, then both the big leaders of the SR group who challenge the Hooda group will not be in the assembly. Kumari Selja and Bhupendra Singh Hooda, both leaders are understanding all these equations and this is the reason why the Congress MP is talking about taking permission from the high command to contest the assembly elections, while the former CM is talking about choosing the CM after the elections with the opinion of the MLAs.
Congress is avoiding CM face
Congress is also avoiding entering the fray by declaring a CM face in Haryana elections. Haryana BJP posted on social media platform X that if Rahul Gandhi is such a well-wisher of OBCs and Dalits, then Congress should declare Kumari Selja as CM candidate. On behalf of Congress, Haryana party president Chaudhary Udaybhan retorted to this and asked whether BJP had declared CM candidates in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In an interview, when Bhupendra Hooda was questioned about the future CM, he put the ball in the court of the high command and the winning MLAs.
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Bhupendra Singh Hooda’s image has been that of a leader who takes a line against the high command if his wishes are not fulfilled. This had happened in the last election of Haryana. Then the Congress had decided to contest the election without declaring any leader as the CM candidate. But Hooda himself declared himself as the CM candidate during the election campaign. There is also a discussion that the Congress leadership may have announced not to give tickets to MPs in order to gain confidence from Hooda to contest the election without declaring a CM face.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)