In the wake of a disappointing outcome in the recent Haryana Assembly elections, the Congress leadership has initiated significant changes at the organizational level by appointing senior leader Jitendra Baghel, known for his close association with Rahul Gandhi, likely to take over as the new Deputy In-charge for Haryana.
This restructuring comes after Deepak Babaria, Congress’s state in-charge, offered to resign, citing personal accountability for the defeat.
Baghel’s appointment, however, remained under wraps for nearly ten days before his participation in a Congress review meeting in Delhi. On Tuesday, Baghel joined an eight-member committee meeting in Delhi, which had been set up by Haryana Pradesh Congress President Chaudhary Udai Bhan to analyze the election loss. Following his attendance, it became evident that Baghel had taken on the critical role of Deputy In-charge for Haryana.
The committee has scheduled another meeting on November 9, also in Delhi, where it has summoned all 53 candidates who faced defeat in the polls. Baghel will engage with these leaders to discuss the reasons for their setbacks and gather crucial feedback to aid Congress’s comeback strategy.
Notably, Deepak Babaria was absent from the Tuesday meeting. Since the election results were declared on October 8, Babaria has distanced himself from party activities, leading to speculation about an impending leadership transition. With Baghel’s involvement in Tuesday’s proceedings, his role is increasingly seen as pivotal to Congress’s efforts to recover from its recent electoral losses.
Baghel chaired the meeting alongside Udai Bhan and committee chairman Karan Singh Dalal. The session, which lasted for about an hour and a half, emphasized the need for a comprehensive assessment of factors behind Congress’s defeat. Baghel suggested summoning the defeated candidates for a detailed interaction in the upcoming session. In line with this, the committee has directed all candidates to gather and present evidence on four specific areas that allegedly influenced the election’s outcome.
Baghel’s longstanding affiliation with Congress dates back to his college years. He hails from Timarpur in Delhi and completed his undergraduate studies at Hindu College, where he entered the political arena through NSUI, Congress’s student wing. He later pursued law at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Uttar Pradesh. Active in the party since 1996, Baghel currently serves as Congress’s national secretary and heads the Public Auto Taxi Welfare Association in Delhi.
His reputation as a loyal confidant of Rahul Gandhi has raised speculation that he might soon be elevated to the position of Haryana Congress In-charge.
Following the electoral setback, Deepak Babaria has reportedly offered his resignation, citing health concerns. Discussions within Congress circles suggest that Baghel could take over as the primary in-charge for Haryana, a move that would reflect Congress’s commitment to address its electoral challenges with a fresh perspective and dedicated leadership.
The Congress party in Haryana was reeling under the iternal Differences even as the party has failed to Congress Legislative Party leader who will be the leader of opposition in the state assembly as party was divided between senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja.
