With the opposition in a disarray, the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana looks poised for a second consecutive victory in the assembly polls on October 13. However, it’s the Congress’ old nemesis — factionalism — that threatens to thwart its romp to power.
The ruling party in the state stands divided in two factions — one led by Hooda and the other comprising almost all state satraps. The anti-Hooda lobby includes members from Hooda’s council of ministers — finance minister Birender Singh, minister of state for tourism Kiran Chaudhary, Union minister Kumari Selja and Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh.
The recent meeting of the Haryana Congress election committee convened in Delhi to screen candidates for the 90-member state assembly was stalled with Selja, Birender and Chaudhary criticising Hooda.
Both camps have been asked to meet AICC general secretary Mohsina Kidwai and resolve their differences before candidates are finalised. However, the peace-making process seems difficult with the anti-Hooda camp expressing their reservations against the CM being given a free hand over selecting most candidates. The differences between the two factions aren’t purely political. The state’s politics has been divided on caste lines between Jats and non-Jats.
The main contenders for the Jat turf have been Om Prakash Chautala (of INLD), Bansi Lal and the Hooda clans. Bhajan Lal leads the non-Jat lobby.
While the 2004 Haryana assembly election saw the rise of Hooda, the 2009 Lok Sabha poll verdict wrote off veterans like Chautala and Bhajan Lal. Hooda’s detractors, however, claim that most candidates won despite sabotage attempts. Apart from the non-Jat camp, Hooda now faces retaliation in the Jat lobby; with Birender lobbying hard to capture the Jat leadership.
This has put the Congress in a piquant situation as the non-Jats have traditionally voted for the Congress in Haryana.
