Chandigarh, August 20
After months of ceasefire, fresh trouble has erupted on the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-Ajay Singh Yadav front, with the seven-time MLA from Rewari firing a volley of salvos at the Chief Minister, that too while addressing party workers.

Relations between the CM and the Power Minister have reached a new low. So much so that Yadav has abruptly cancelled the rally, which Hooda was scheduled to address in the minister’s Assembly constituency of Rewari on September 1. Yadav had been touring the area for the past several weeks to ensure a large turnout at the rally. Sources said the break between Hooda and Yadav came on Independence Day when Yadav met the Chief Minister to brief him about various demands to be made at the rally so that Hooda could study their feasibility before accepting them.

Yadav told party workers in Gurgaon last evening that people of Rewari had been demanding that the Indira Gandhi Regional Centre of MDU, Rohtak, at Mirpur in the Rewari Assembly constituency should be upgraded as a university. He had assured them that this demand would be accepted by the CM at the September 1 rally as he had promised to so even before the Assembly elections.

However, Yadav said, Hooda told him on August 15 that the latter was unable to upgrade the regional centre. Therefore, Yadav said, he was “postponing the rally with a heavy heart”. Yadav did not stop here. He went on accusing Hooda of promoting regionalism by developing only certain areas of the state. His allegation has provided a tool to the Opposition, which already levels similar allegations against Hooda. HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi has said that Yadav’s statement had proved them (the opposition) right.

Yadav’s assertions days before the Assembly session are likely to embarrass the Hooda government.

The Power Minister also declared his support to Rao Inderjit Singh for the post of president of the Haryana Congress. Yadav said though it was for the high command to make this appointment, he would support Inderjit Singh if this assignment was given to him. Till sometime ago, Yadav and the Rao did not see eye to eye as they were considered to be involved in the game of one-upmanship in the Ahirwal belt. In the new-found bonehomie, Yadav said he along with the Rao, who is the MP of the area, would meet the high command to complain against “regionalism being propagated in the state”.

Last year, Yadav had criticised the land acquisition policy of the state government, which led to a change in his portfolio. While the Finance portfolio was taken away from him by the Chief Minister, he was asked to look after the thankless Power Department.

The sulking Yadav did not take up the new responsibility and camped in Delhi for several days to meet central party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi. Hooda had already taken Central leaders into confidence before acting against Yadav.