Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda this week again promised that there would be a deputy CM from the Brahmin community if the Congress was voted to power in the 2024 elections. The Assembly elections in the state are due in October 2024. Speaking to reporters, Hooda said, “If the Congress government is formed in Haryana, we will appoint four Deputy Chief Ministers.” The Congress leader said that the party would make good on its promise that it had made ahead of the elections in 2019. Bhupinder Singh Hooda stressed that one Deputy Chief Minister would be from the Brahmin community, one from the Dalit community, one from the OBC community, and one from the general category.
The latest announcement by Hooda appears to be an attempt to woo Brahmins and members of other communities in Haryana’s caste-centric politics. Ahead of the 2019 assembly polls, Hooda had promised four deputy CMs from different communities if the Congress returned to power in Haryana. “The Brahmin community was always given proper representation in the government and bureaucracy during the Congress government and the Congress will provide proper representation to them in future too.
If voted to power in 2024 assembly polls, we will restore reservation in jobs for the Brahmin community under EWS category, implement the law regarding land ownership of ‘dholidars’ (Brahmins who received land from big landowners years ago) and create a strong Brahmin Commission.”
“We have mentioned this before in 2019, and we are saying it again for 2024. Let the BJP leaders say what they want. We are talking about making four Deputy Chief Ministers based on our party’s policy,” Hooda said in response to criticism from BJP leaders.
Earlier, while addressing a “Jan Milan Programme” in Jind on Sunday, Hooda expressed confidence that “the Congress is going to form the government in Haryana with full majority”.
