Chandigarh, March 1
The Haryana Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today unanimously authorised the AICC President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to choose its leader who would become the next Chief Minister of the state.

Though the proceedings lasted for over four hours, the one-line resolution authorising Mrs Gandhi was adopted within the first few minutes of the meeting, which started about 30 minutes after the scheduled time of 4 p.m.

The meeting, which was held in the committee room of the Vidhan Sabha, opened with introduction of newly-elected MLAs. A former Haryana Congress President, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, MLA from Kaithal, at the outset proposed that Mrs Gandhi should be authorised to decide the issue of leadership of the CLP as well as to form the Council of Ministers. Immediately, Mr Venod Sharma, former Union Minister of State and MLA from Ambala City, moved the one-line resolution authorising Mrs Gandhi to choose the leader. However, the resolution was silent on the formation of the Council of Ministers.

Certain members like Mr Dharam Pal Malik, Mr Mange Ram Gupta and Mr A.C. Choudhary wanted to say something on the resolution. But they were cut short by Mr Janardan Diwedi, AICC General Secretary in charge of the party affairs in Haryana, who said those who were opposed to the resolution should raise their hands. No one did.

Once the resolution was adopted, Mr Diwedi, along with the Union Energy Minister, Mr P.M. Sayeed, and Mr Ashok Gehlot, AICC General Secretary, the two observers appointed by the high command for today’s meeting, told the MLAs that they would meet each member separately to know his choice of the leader.

They assured them that their choice would be recorded by Mr Sayeed and kept secret. Mr Sayeed’s hand-written note would be shown to Mrs Gandhi in original and no copies of it would be made.

The three Central leaders then shifted to the Chief Minister’s room in the Vidhan Sabha, which still has the nameplate of Mr Om Prakash Chautala. The MLAs were then called one by one, starting with Mr Chander Mohan, whose constituency, Kalka, is at serial number one of the Election Commission’s record.

The observers also met seven MPs individually. Mr Kuldip Bishnoi, son of Mr Bhajan Lal, Haryana Congress President, reportedly told the observers that the MPs’ views were important in the selection of the Prime Minister and not the Chief Minister.

The CLP again met for about five minutes in which the observers announced that the decision on the leadership issue would be announced by Mrs Gandhi after they had submitted their report to her tomorrow.

Later, when newsmen asked if an MP could also become the Chief Minister, Mr Diwedi said it was a policy decision to be taken by Mrs Gandhi.

Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MP from Rohtak, Mr Birender Singh, MLA from Uchana Kalan, and Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, MLA from Narwana and Haryana Congress Working President, all of whom are eying the CM’s post, were happy at the turn of events at the meeting.