Mirchpur haunts Hooda

There is another son rising in the Haryana’s political firmament. Finance,Irrigation and Forest Minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav,the No 2 in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda cabinet,has successfully launched his son Chiranjeev Yadav in state politics. Chiranjeev,much to the surprise of many,had thrown his hat in the ring for the post of state Youth Congress president and despite being faced with many heavyweight political sons and daughters,won the elections. He pushed out the daughter of a powerful state woman leader. Besides,Rahul Gandhi’s handpicked legislator Anil Dhantori also opted to stay out of the race. His election as state Youth Congress president has further consolidated his father’s position in the party and government.

Chaudharies in action

The panchayat elections in Haryana are deemed more important that the municipal elections as these elections decide the ‘chaudhar’ of the leaders in the rural areas. These elections have,therefore,become a point of prestige for the political parties,especially the INLD and the Congress. These two parties have their own interests in the elections as the sarpanchs and panchs will lead the public opinion on whom to vote for in the next Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. This explains the presence of many senior leaders who braved the heat to hold on to their rural votebank. After the results were declared,both Congress and INLD claimed that it was their writ that had prevailed. The real position,however,will be clear at the time of the general elections.

Babus all the way

The Haryana bureaucracy is really claiming its place in the sun in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government. Many say without any inhibition that it is the babus who are running the government. These days the majority of the officers are on leisure trips to the hills. Hence the state secratariat wears a deserted look and those who come from far off places to get their work done have to return disappointed. “Even if we are able to meet Hooda it hardly gets us any result as he refers our cases to a particular officer attached to him and this officer never listens to us for the reason that he is always surrounded by politicians,mostly MLAs,and we are further referred to another small-time officer,” said an enraged Ambala resident.