Appointments point at party’s OBC outreach: Cong names Hooda as CLP leader after year-long delay, Rao Narender to head Haryana unit

In a parallel decision, Rao Narender Singh, an OBC face and former state health minister, replaced Hooda loyalist Udai Bhan, who had held the post since April 2022. According to sources, he is the choice of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who was keen on projecting an OBC face in the state. There were three names proposed for the post — all belonging to the OBC, they added.

The appointments were made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, an official statement said.

The appointments come after months of indecision following the Congress’s unexpected defeat in the October 2024 Assembly elections. Despite winning 37 seats and securing a vote share of 39.09 per cent — almost neck to neck with the BJP’s 39.94 per cent — the party failed to reclaim power. The BJP won 48 of the 90 seats, defying exit poll predictions and leaving the Congress struggling to regroup.

Hooda has enjoyed the backing of most Congress MLAs since the election loss, but factionalism within the party reportedly delayed his formal appointment. Responding to the delay, Hooda recently told The Indian Express, “Senior Congress leader Rahul (Gandhi) ji has already made it clear that CLP leader appointment will follow the selection of district presidents and state committee office-bearers. As far as the MLAs are concerned, they have already passed a resolution and left the decision to the party high command. Our party functions like a family. There may be differences of opinion, but our minds are united.”

Rao Narender Singh’s elevation signals a strategic shift in the Congress’s approach —moving away from its traditional Jat-centric politics toward a broader OBC outreach. His appointment is seen as a counter to the BJP’s decision to install Nayab Singh Saini, an OBC leader, as Chief Minister in March 2024, replacing Manohar Lal Khattar just ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Rao, known for maintaining cordial ties with all three senior Congress leaders in Haryana— Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Singh Surjewala — is viewed as a candidate who can bridge internal divisions. Sources close to Hooda revealed that he had recommended both Rao Narender Singh and Rao Dan Singh for the state president’s post. Rao Dan Singh is considered a Hooda confidant. Former MLA Rao Chiranjeev, son of veteran Congress leader Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, was also among the contenders.

A senior Congress leader noted that the party had recently given significant representation to OBCs and Scheduled Castes in the appointment of district presidents. Like Rao Narender Singh, many of these new appointees are relatively low-profile. This highlights the party experiments with fresh faces and new leadership models.

This shift also reflects the Congress’s intent to reclaim ground in the Ahirwal region, which has become a BJP stronghold since Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh joined the saffron party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. By appointing a Yadav community leader as state president, the Congress hopes to reconnect with voters in this politically crucial belt.