The Haryana Congress Legislature Party (CLP), which held its first meeting after the Assembly elections results were announced on October 8, passed a resolution authorising the party high command to appoint its next leader in the Vidhan Sabha — the move coming after there was no clear consensus on a single name. While a few of the newly elected MLAs voted in favour of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was also the Leader of Opposition in the last assembly, sources present in the meeting said some legislators suggested that somebody other than the former CM should be made the CLP leader. The 90-minute meeting was presided over by AICC central observers — former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, AICC treasurer Ajay Maken, Punjab CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, and T S Singh Deo. They spoke with all party MLAs and sought their opinion on who should be their new leader. Hooda, state Congress chief Udai Bhan were also present in the meeting where all 37 newly elected MLAs were present. After the meeting, Gehlot said, “We sought opinions of all the MLAs. We shall be submitting our report to the party high command who will take the final decision on the CLP leader”. Ajay Maken said, "At the beginning of the meeting, Bhupinder Singh Hooda read out a resolution that CLP unanimously decides that the right to choose its leader is of the AICC president. Hooda's resolution was seconded by Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan. All the MLAs present unanimously backed the resolution”. In a show of strength on Wednesday, 31 party MLAs met Hooda and extended their support to him. Five MLAs five from MP Kumari Selja’s camp did not attend the meeting. In the Assembly elections conducted on October 5, the BJP secured an unprecedented third term in the state, winning 48 seats in the 90-member assembly. The Congress won 37 seats, improving its tally by seven. Indian National Lok Dal won two seats while three Independents too made it to the Assembly. Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge set up a fact-finding committee to ascertain the reasons for the party’s defeat in Haryana.
