In with a chance in Haryana, Congress looks to set house in order, unify warring factions

Attempting to strike a balance between various factions in the state unit, the Congress has constituted a 45-member “strategy committee” that has members of every faction. All top guns of its Haryana unit, as well as their close aides, are there in this list. Chaired by All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge Deepak Babaria, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Udai Bhan is its convener. Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda is a member of the committee along with 42 other leaders.

The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi, on August 10 when Hooda, Kumari Selja and other warring leaders could be seen on the same platform for the first time in years. However, Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, considered the leader of one of the factions, appeared cautious, telling The Indian Express, “I haven’t seen the constitution of this strategy committee and nobody has informed me about it yet. As such, I am busy in Parliament these days and it is likely the session will get extended. I will only be able to say something on it when I see what this committee is all about.”

Selja and Surjewala are the only two Haryana Congress leaders who are also party affairs in-charge for Uttarakhand and Karnataka, respectively. Surjewala is also a member of the Upper House from Rajasthan. Former BJP Union Minister Birender Singh, who recently made a comeback to the Congress, has also been included in the list. Besides Selja, MPs Deepender Hooda, Jai Prakash, Varun Chaudhary and Satpal Brahmchari are part of this committee as are at least eight MLAs: Bharat Bhushan Batra, Aftab Ahmed, Geeta Bhukkal, Rao Dan Singh, Jagbir Malik, Jaiveer Singh Valmiki, Rajender Singh Joon, and Bishan Lal Saini.

Others on board include several former ministers and MLAs, some of whom had been voicing out their concerns, such as former Deputy CM Chander Mohan: former ministers Sampat Singh, Anand Singh Dangi, Nirmal Singh, Karan Singh Dalal, Rao Narender Singh, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav; and former chief parliamentary secretaries Anita Yadav and Ram Niwas Ghorela.

All three working presidents of the Haryana Congress — Jitender Kumar Bhardwaj, Ram Kishan Gujjar and Suresh Gupta — are also there.

Talking about the balancing act carried out in the committee, Deepak Babaria told The Indian Express, “Everybody shall be on the same platform and their suggestions, party feedback, etc, shall be discussed in this meeting. It is basically constituted to discuss the party’s future campaigns, strategy, issues that we need to raise, when and where and how, areas where we need to focus, etc. All party leaders are welcome to share their vision, feedback and suggestions with the sole motive of strengthening the party’s ongoing campaign for the upcoming elections.”

On the question of who among Bhupinder Hooda, Selja, and Surjewala would be participating in the strategy committee meeting, Babaria said, “Hopefully, they will all be there. I have always said that dialogue is the key to resolving differences. They should meet more frequently and discuss the issues. Deepender (Hooda) is not the brand ambassador of our ‘Haryana Maange Hisab (Haryana demands accountability)’ campaign. It is a party campaign and he is going wherever he has a clout, or wherever local leaders are calling him. Similarly, Kumari Selja is also taking out the Congress Sandesh Yatra, which is also the party’s campaign. Each and every leader of the party can get out and raise these issues in areas where they have a clout. The core issue is mobilisation of the party cadre, and the people. If anybody is calling another leader of having taken over a campaign, it is incorrect. In this committee, all Haryana Congress leaders have been included and their suggestions, on how to strategise the party’s campaign and strengthen it, shall be welcomed.”

Regarding factionalism, Babaria said, “I must say that self-interest serves as a catalyst. If anybody has an aspiration of becoming the CM, he or she must have at least 20-30 MLAs on his or her side. For that, every ambitious party leader will need to work hard, mobilise party cadres to first ensure that the party wins a majority. Rest, the high command and senior leadership decides.”

Bhupinder Singh Hooda told The Indian Express, “It is good that everybody has been included in this committee. Everybody shall give their suggestions on shaping the party’s strategy and campaign for the elections.”

Other party leaders said the committee would only focus on election strategy and won’t have any role in selection of candidates for the Assembly polls.