New Delhi, August 23
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda met Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel here today amid indications that the decision on the leadership of state Congress would be taken soon. The meeting took place a day after Shakeel Ahmed, Congress general secretary in charge of Haryana, met both Sonia and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi yesterday.

The movement on the state leadership issue comes close on the heels of the rally which senior Congress leader and Hooda baiter Birender Singh organised on Jind on August 20.

Sources in the Congress said general secretary Digvijay Singh, who attended that rally as Sonia's representative, has given his feedback to the party high command on the state organisation issue.

Sources told The Tribune that the Congress high command had indicated that it would prefer a non Jat leader (Birender is a Jat) if at all a decision is taken to replace Phool Chand Mullana, a close Hooda aide, as the PCC chief of the state. The dissident camp in Haryana wants Mullana replaced.

Congress leaders said a major challenge would be to find a replacement which is acceptable to both the Hooda and the dissident camp.

Among those in contention is Ashok Tanwar, Sirsa Congress MP, who has been an all-India Youth Congress president and, at present, is secretary in the AICC. Tanwar’s biggest asset would be his proximity to Rahul and the fact that he is a Dalit married to the granddaughter of former President Shankar Dayal Sharma which makes him a Dalit-Brahmin face which can be acceptable.

The disadvantage with Tanwar, however, is he is considered close to the Hooda camp and has hardly lived in Haryana. Due to predominance of Khaps in Haryana, his inter-caste marriage may not be viewed as positively by some segments in the state. “The High Command has indicated that they would not disappoint the dissident camp this time. If they have to take someone from the Hooda camp, why not retain Mullana?” asked a senior Congress leader.

Though the Congress High Command is still performing the delicate act of balancing the odds in a highly divided Haryana Congress unit, a decision is likely to be taken soon.