Cracks within the Haryana Congress have come to light as senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan were excluded from the party’s list of star campaigners for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections-leaving a strong message for the duo after the party’s poor show in the state’s assembly elections. Both the leaders are considered key players in Haryana politics and they played vital role in distribution of tickets in the Haryana assembly elections.

Whereas, the party leadership has included Haryana leaders like Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala, and Deepender Hooda (Hooda’s son) in the list but left out Hooda and Bhan. The decision comes amidst internal tensions following the party’s poor performance in Haryana’s border districts in the last Assembly elections, where the Congress won only 37 seats in the 90 members state assembly. Bhan himself lost from the Hodal assembly constituency and the party also faced debacle in several districts once considered as Hooda’s stronghold.  Even, the party had already ignored Hooda and did not declare its Legislative Party leader in the state keeping the post of the Leader of Opposition in Haryana assembly vacant more than three months after the formation of the BJP led government in the state.

Despite the exclusion, both Hooda and Bhan have downplayed the matter. As speaking to the media, Bhan said, “It is the high command’s decision. Our priority is to strengthen the party and ensure victory.” Hooda echoed similar sentiments, stating, “We don’t need formalities to contribute. Congress is fully prepared to win Delhi, and we will campaign wherever required.” The exclusion is being seen as another setback for Hooda and Bhan after All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge, Dipak Babaria, recently withheld a list of district presidents appointed by Bhan, citing “procedural lapses.”

However, the political observers believe that the party is reconsidering its strategy following the Haryana Congress’s underwhelming performance in constituencies bordering Delhi. On the other hand the BJP has adopted an aggressive approach for the Delhi polls. Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini are actively involved in planning strategies to leverage Haryana leaders’ influence in Delhi’s border constituencies. Saini has already conducted high-level meetings in Delhi to boost the BJP’s campaign.