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(From Left) Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala. (PTI)
Congress sources have told News18 that it is almost certain that Bhupinder Hooda will be the chief minister if the party wins — a move that may irk Kumari Selja and her supporters
The Congress is in celebratory mood ever since the exit polls predicted a clean sweep for the party in Haryana. However, even if the Grand Old Party forms the government, there are several nagging issues it will have to deal with which may take the wind out of its sails.
Congress sources have told News18 that it is almost certain that Bhupinder Hooda will be the chief minister if the party wins. This is possibly Hooda’s last election and apart from experience, he also has the support of most MLAs. Plus, even if the Congress wins by a huge margin, it does not want to take any chances as it fears that given the ‘aaya ram, gaya ram’ culture in Haryana, anything can happen. The Grand Old Party is of the view that Hooda could be the man who keeps the party and government together.
But then how does one overlook the Kumari Selja factor? There are about 20 per cent Dalits in the state, which means Selja cannot be ignored. In fact, she said so in an interview: “I cannot be ignored. I matter.” Selja is close to the Gandhis, especially Sonia Gandhi. She is an aggressive Dalit leader from Haryana and a staunch loyalist.
Her supporters tell News18: “Remember, she was never a part of G-23 [grouping of 23 Congress leaders who demanded organisational overhaul] like Hooda. He arm-twisted the top leadership which she never has. Who should be trusted more?”
However, political observers in the state say in case of crisis, Selja may not be able to woo the MLAs or reach out to other parties in the state.
Then there is Ashok Tanwar. While party sources say there was no pre-condition to his joining the Congress, it is anybody’s guess that he too would have asked for and got his pound of flesh. Where does that leave Selja? Her supporters feel that by getting Tanwar at a time when Selja is upset, the party is sending a message to her that it has other Dalit leaders as well. It’s quite possible that if not deputy chief minister, Selja may get many of her people into the cabinet.
And, of course, there is Randeep Surjewala, once the blue-eyed boy of the Gandhis. Surjewala has campaigned only for his son Aditya and it’s quite likely that he may want a ministerial berth for him. After all, he had agreed to contest from Jind when Rahul Gandhi asked him to.
If Congress wins, it’s a victory which could be tempered by dissatisfaction. After all, in Karnataka, after the win, DK Shivakumar took his own time to agree to become the deputy chief minister. In Rajasthan too, the Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot rivalry is well-known.
For now, the party seems to be keeping its fingers crossed for result day on October 8.
