Haryana Congress a house divided

Chandigarh, September 4

Factionalism came to the fore during the All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers’ consultations with district-level leaders of the party, as workers belonging to the anti-Bhupinder Singh Hooda camp raised slogans at Kurukshetra, Jind, Panipat, Hisar, Charkhi Dadri and Gurugram.

To select district-level office-bearers, the AICC observers will be holding talks in districts until September 10 and will submit a report on the feedback to state party incharge Deepak Babaria and state president Udai Bhan on September 11.

Party being monopolised, allege 2 ex-ministers

• Former Haryana ministers and Congress leaders Subhash Batra and Krishan Murti Hooda have stated that the party’s state unit was being monopolised by certain leaders
• Addressing a joint news conference at Rohtak on Monday, the former ministers raised questions on the appointment of Congress district in-charges
• While Batra refrained from making any personal allegations, Krishan Murti Hooda launched a frontal attack on former CM and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda

At Kurukshetra, the meeting was called at the Circuit House. A group of Congress workers, claiming to be supporters of the rival camp, reached there and started raising slogans to express their resentment. They claimed that they were not informed about the meeting and were being ignored. AICC observer Rajkumar Indoria came out of the meeting and expressed unhappiness over the slogans being raised.

In Panipat, too, workers alleged pick-and-choose policy in holding consultations.

AICC observer Kanti Bhai Barwar and state party representatives Dr Raghubir Kadiyan and Shelly Chaudhary arrived at the Congress Bhawan in Hisar today for consultations, but a number of uninvited workers arrived there. A group of workers owing allegiance to a leader of the rival faction started raising slogans against former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda, alleging that the father-son duo were dominating the affairs of the state unit. Jagan Nath, Ajay Chaudhary and state youth vice-president Krishan Satrod were leading them.

When contacted, Barwar said they were enthusiastic supporters of some leaders who were raising slogans. “We have talked to them and also taken feedback from all party officials,” he stated.

Among the prominent Congress leaders, former Union minister Jai Prakash and several other ticket aspirants from Assembly constituencies were among those who met the observers. The factionalism also disrupted proceedings in Jind as workers, who were supporters of the rival camp, raised slogans of “go back observer”.

Sandeep Haibatpur, protesting at the venue, claimed that the observers were pro-Hooda and all party workers were not being taken into confidence regarding the process.

At Charkhi Dadri, a section of party workers, who were supporters of a local leader from the area, raised slogans.

The protests took place despite Udai Bhan cautioning the leaders to avoid any show of strength during the talks with central observers. The party has been running without any district-level organisation for the past nine years. “The AICC has appointed these observers. We will take action against those who have created indiscipline. The observers have been given time from September 3 to September 10. They will submit their report on September 11,” said Bhan.

The Congress is presently divided between the Hooda camp, which has most sitting MLAs on its side, and the rival camp comprising senior leaders Kumari Selja, Randeep Singh Surjewala and MLA Kiran Choudhry.

Most MLAs with former CM Hooda

The Congress is presently divided between the Hooda camp, which has most sitting MLAs on its side, and the rival camp comprising senior leaders Kumari Selja, Randeep Singh Surjewala and MLA Kiran Choudhry.