Bhupendra Hooda, Kumari Shailja and Randeep Surjewala
The Congress, which is struggling to return to power in Haryana, may not have announced any leader as the Chief Minister’s face, but the biggest hurdles in Bhupendra Singh Hooda’s path were Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala. Shailja and Surjewala expressed their desire to contest the 2024 assembly polls, raising tensions from top Congress leaders to Hooda. In such a situation, the Congress High Command has decided that the party will not give tickets to any of its MPs for the assembly elections. He will currently be campaigning for the party. Bhupendrasinh Hooda has got the biggest relief from this decision, whose path has been removed?
Veteran Congress leader and five-time MP Shailja wants to strengthen his grip on Haryana politics. In such a situation, she was preparing to try her luck in the assembly elections as a Lok Sabha MP. He formally announced that my supporters and well-wishers in the state are urging me to play a more active role in state politics and contest assembly elections. In such a situation, she is thinking of contesting the assembly elections. Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala was also saying similar things and making political plans to contest elections from his traditional seat.
Congress politics in Haryana
Congress politics in Haryana is centered around Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala and Bhupendra Singh Hooda. If Congress returns to power, one of these three leaders will be crowned Chief Minister. Hooda and Shailja have also expressed their claim. This is why the three leaders were seeking tickets to contest the assembly elections. In this way, the Congress leadership had to give a strict signal on Wednesday after the heartfelt wishes of the big leaders came to the fore.
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Congress will not field its own MP
Haryana Congress in-charge Deepak Babria told the media after a meeting held on Wednesday to consider the names of candidates that the party will not field any sitting MP in the assembly polls this time. Congress MPs will campaign only for the party in the current elections. The party’s decision will have a direct impact on Kumari Shailja and Randeep Surjewala, as both the leaders are MPs. Kumari Selja has been elected Lok Sabha MP from Sirsa in 2024 election while Surjewala is Rajya Sabha MP.
Shailja-Surjewala’s hopes were dashed
The Congress high command has dashed Surjewala and Kumari Selja’s hopes of contesting the assembly elections, but there is no thorn left in Bhupendra Singh Hooda’s path. The entry of Kumari Selja and Surjewala in the Haryana assembly elections was the biggest cause of concern for Bhupendra Singh Hooda. Hooda considers himself the frontrunner in the race for the CM post. In such a scenario, if Kumari Shailja and Surjewala win the assembly elections and the Congress returns to power in Haryana, Shailja-Surjewala may also stake their claim against Hooda for the post of chief minister.
Congress return in Haryana?
With the kind of political climate in Haryana and talk of an anti-incumbency wave as the BJP has been in power for ten years, political analysts are hoping for a return of the Congress to power. In such a situation Shailja and Hooda will be facing each other for the Congress. Hooda hails from the Jat community while Shailja hails from the Dalit community. Congress’s political base in Haryana depends on the Jat and Dalit votes. In such a situation, Congress wants to maintain a political balance between the two castes.
The road to Hudda is clear
Congress politics is based on Jat and Dalit votes. In the 2019 assembly elections, the Congress gave a strong fight to the BJP on the strength of the pair of Hooda and Shailja. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress has managed to win 5 out of 10 seats in Haryana solely on the basis of Dalit-Jat votes. Hooda and Shailja’s relationship is thirty-six years old. In such a situation, Kumari Shailja and Surjewala’s hopes of contesting assembly elections have been dashed. Bhupendra Hooda’s path may be looking clear, but if Shailja and Surjewal don’t work hard, it won’t be easy for Congress to win the election.
All eyes on Dalit vote
In the Haryana assembly elections, all parties are eyeing Dalit votes. Dalit community has the largest population in the state after Jats. About 21 percent of the population in the state belongs to the Dalit community. In the picture seen so far, the Congress is trying to solve the Dalit equation. In the Lok Sabha elections, Dalit voters were leaning towards him. In the name of saving the Constitution and reservations, the Congress and its allies won Dalit votes across the country.
Chaudhary Udayabhan became the state president
Ever since BJP started non-Jat politics in Haryana, Congress has been trying to equate Dalit votes with Jats. Due to this equation, Bhupendra Singh Hooda has been made the supreme leader of the party and Dalit leader Chaudhary Udaybhan has been made the state president along with him. Apart from this, Kumari Shailja is considered as the Dalit face of Congress. The Congress hopes to have a 50 percent vote equation with Jats, Dalits and Muslims. In such a situation, the way Kumari Shailja’s hopes of contesting the assembly elections have been dashed may have an impact on the assembly elections.
