Explained | Bhupinder Hooda's manoeuvres: What it means for Congress and its impact on Haryana Assembly polls

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda is leading in Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency.

Former Haryana chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on August 18, said his party had “lost its way (bhatak gayee)”. Hooda added that the party was “no longer the old Congress”.

The 71-year-old leader also backed the Centre’s decision of revoking provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"When the government does something right, I support them. Many of my colleagues opposed the decision (to revoke Article 370)… my party has lost its way, it’s not the same Congress it used to be," Hooda said at a rally in Rohtak.

"When it comes to patriotism and self-respect, I’ll not compromise with anyone," Hooda added.

Hooda’s rally, in which state unit chief Ashok Tanwar was not present, is being seen as a tough signal to the Congress high command to pick him as their leader in the state heading into the Legislative Assembly election.

Ahead of the rally, reports suggested that the two-time chief minister could announce his resignation from the Indian National Congress. It was also reported that Hooda could form his own political outfit.

Internal tussle

Hooda has been engaged in a power tussle with Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar. Tanwar has been the state unit chief since February 2014. The party lost the 2014 Assembly polls, 2014 general election and was hammered in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The existing state leadership has, however, blamed the nationwide decline of the Congress for these losses.

Dismissing speculation of a possible rebellion a day ahead of the rally, Tanwar had told news agency ANI, “The Congress is one, will remain one and will win the assembly polls."

The Hooda camp is, however, hoping to regain control of the party in the state. The tussle has further aggravated since the recent Lok Sabha polls and is likely to culminate ahead of the state polls, expected to happen in October.

Congress' fall in Jat heartland

Hooda has been the chief minister of Haryana for two consecutive terms (2005 to 2014). He is not only a prominent Jat leader, but also the face of the Congress in Haryana.

Having finished third in the 2014 Assembly polls, amid the ‘Narendra Modi wave’, Congress failed to even win the Leader of Opposition’s post.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the state of Haryana in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, winning all of the 10 seats there. BJP’s vote share significantly increased as compared to 2014. In fact, a closer look at election data shows that even if Congress had allied with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), the Opposition could have only won the Rohtak seat.

Hooda himself, and his son Deepender Singh Hooda, were defeated from Sonepat and Rohtak, respectively. The two seats fall in the Jat heartland of Haryana and were once considered Hooda bastions.

Even in the bypolls, in the lead-up to the general election, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala finished third. This was despite the perceived anti-incumbency against the Manohar Lal Khattar government.

What this would mean for the Congress

At least 12 of the 15 Congress Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the state and several other former Congress MPs and legislators participated in the “Parivartan Maha rally”. It was Hooda’s show of strength.

Many state leaders feel that Tanwar is not a mass leader like Hooda. These leaders, having sat in the opposition for five years, are backing Hooda. They believe Hooda could turn around the party’s fortunes in the northern state.

Opting for Hooda as the state unit chief would mean that his camp would have a sway on candidate selection.

With Sonia Gandhi taking over as the interim President of the Congress, the Hooda camp is hopeful of a resolution to this internal tussle. However, in an event that Hooda splits from the party, it would result in a multi-cornered battle.

Hooda walking away from the party would be a serious blow to their hopes for the Haryana election as it would further split the anti-BJP vote in the state.

Also addressing the rally, Deepender Hooda said, “We follow the path of love, growth and development. The path that the BJP has shown in the last five years is that of riots, unemployment and intolerance. Today, we have a chance to take back Haryana politics in the direction that can help the state grow."

Yet, the rally was less about criticising the ruling BJP and more about positioning himself. Hooda said he would introduce a legislation similar to that in Andhra Pradesh, to reserve 75 percent jobs for locals in the private sector. He also promised a fixed monthly income of Rs 2,000 for poor women and free electricity of up to 300 units for below-poverty-line families.

To manage the caste equation, Hooda announced that he would induct four Deputy Chief Ministers if voted to power -- one each from the Dalit, Brahmin and backward class communities, and one from the rest.

For now, Hooda has constituted a 25-member committee that includes the 12 MLAs, to decide the “future course of action”. The committee’s decision will be announced in a week.