He146;s the man who will be CM, says Cong

With Assembly elections a year away, it might sound odd when Congress leaders here ask for votes for Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Lok Sabha ...

With Assembly elections a year away, it might sound odd when Congress leaders here ask for votes for Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Lok Sabha poll so that he becomes the chief minister of Haryana.

In village after village, wherever he goes, Hooda is presented by Congress campaigners as this Jat citadel8217;s saviour, who would restore its primacy in the state by getting the chief ministership.

District Congress president Raghbir Singh Kadyan, who speaks before him at the chaupal of Khedi Khummar village, says this election would determine who would be the chief minister of the state.

8216;8216;Back Bhai Hooda so that he becomes the chief minister and redeems the self-respect of Rohtakwallas.8217;8217; He raises his voice and invokes the honour of his audience: 8216;8216;Khedi ke Sardaron, you must see it now. Your turbans are lying mauled at the feet of Bagris 8212; it is up to you to redeem your honour.8217;8217;

The reference to Bagris is targeted at the Lals of Haryana, who hail from the Bagar area, running along Rajasthan. Rohtak falls in the heartland, Deswal region. Kadyan realises that the emotional dose may not be enough.

He rattles off a wide range of issues at stake. 8216;8216;Chautala Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has siphoned off all resources to Sirsa, grabbed all jobs for his district and diverted the entire canal water to his area.8217;8217;

With the audience charged, Kadyan does not leave it without taking the issue to a conclusive end. 8216;8216;Raise your hands and shout for Hooda8217;s jai victory if you agree with me,8217;8217; he says. The jais follow and he takes his seat. A local leader takes over and tries to be one up on Kadyan.

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Hooda is more measured. He says: 8216;8216;These elections would determine which party is going to rule at the Centre and the state. Once Lok Sabha elections are over, Chautala8217;s government will fall within three months.8217;8217;

When asked to explain this chain reaction later, Hooda has no convincing answer. As for the chief ministership, he argues: 8216;8216;Well, I am in the forefront for the post, but the final choice will be made by Soniaji.8217;8217;

All this, assuming that his party wins the next Assembly elections.

If Hooda is busy selling dreams to voters, his detractors have ensured that his estranged daughter-in-law Gita contests against him.

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A doctor, she has got the BSP ticket and is campaigning vigorously.

Hooda, however, is careful not to land himself in any controversy over her. When asked if he suspects the hand of his party rivals in Gita8217;s candidature, he says: 8216;8216;I will speak out after the elections, but at the same time I concede that it is everybody8217;s constitutional right to contest an election.8217;8217;

Left to himself, Chautala would have loved to see Hooda defeated to avenge three consecutive defeats of his father Devi Lal at his hands.

Busy with the electoral battles of sons Ajay and Abhay in Bhiwani and Kurukshetra, he is unable to focus on Hooda.

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He has fielded a former Army officer against him. Bansi Lal has put up an Army officer8217;s wife, Usha Ahlawat. The BJP has nominated businessman Abhimanyu Singh, whose resources manifest themselves in hoardings, balloons and posters all over the constituency.

Hooda is trying to take the issue of Rohtak8217;s pagri to a climax with a rally at Rohtak on May 8 before the campaign ends. Who knows, the over 10.5 lakh voters just might bite the bait. It suits him fine now, though even he knows that the road to Chandigarh is not smooth.