New Delhi, December 8
In a clear attempt to woo the Jats and the youth in Haryana, the Congress today appointed AICC secretary and Youth Congress president Randeep Singh Surjewala as working president of the state party unit.

Mr Surjewala will be assisting Mr Bhajan Lal, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president, in the coming assembly elections.

Making this announcement today, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said Mr Surjewala had been relieved from the post of AICC secretary. A new Youth Congress president is also expected to be appointed shortly.

While Mr Surjewala’s appointment did lead to some heartburn among younger AICC leaders, it also created ripples in the faction-ridden Haryana party unit. As the elections in Haryana draw closer and the battles between the various political rivals show little sign of abating, there has been considerable talk about changes in the Haryana PCC.

There is pressure from different factions that a Jat leader be accommodated in the state unit, given the community’s immense clout in Haryana. Former PCC chiefs Birendra Singh and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also Mr Bhajan Lal’s political rivals, were pitching for the PCC president’s post.

At one stage, the AICC did come close to removing Mr Bhajan Lal and replacing him with Mr Surjewala, but changed its mind as the party did not wish to alienate the Haryana strongman so close to the assembly poll. The logic then was to have a young person at the helm of affairs who would not be a contender for the Chief Minister’s post. It would have meant a level playing field for those vying for the top job.

Consequently, a compromise formula was devised. Instead of removing Mr Bhajan Lal, the AICC appointed Mr Surjewala as working president, thus meeting the longstanding demand for accommodating a Jat. Since the party also wished to project a young face, the decision went in Mr Surjewala’s favour. The fact that he is close to Mr Bhajan Lal was being construed in party circles as a victory for the latter and a setback for his rivals. In any case, it was stated Mr Birendra Singh or Mr Hooda could not have been considered for this post as they had been PCC presidents.