As Haryana enters an election year, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda is actively engaged. Besides confronting his opponents, he is employing every political tool at his disposal to win over the people of the state. In a special address at the Congress Jan Aakrosh rally held three days ago in his stronghold, Sonipat, Hooda dropped hints about his political future.
During the rally in Baroda, Sonipat on January 7, Hooda played the emotional card, saying, ‘I want to fight for the last time in my life. Will you support me or not?’ Here, Hooda referred to the impending political clashes with the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Attendees at the rally raised their hands, expressing assurance to support him.
Hooda also sent a clear message to leaders within the Congress who have opposed him. In the rally, he stated, ‘Till now, I am neither retired nor tired.’ The trio of Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala, and Kiran Chaudhary, collectively known as the SRK faction in Haryana Congress, are openly opposing Hooda.
Political analysts closely monitoring Haryana politics suggest that Hooda’s emotional speech holds several political implications. He seems to have hit multiple targets with one stone.
Hooda aimed to convey to the Baroda rally attendees his desire to bring Choudhary back to their area. The Sonipat-Rohtak-Jhajjar districts, collectively known as Old Rohtak, played a crucial role in forming the Congress government in Haryana from 2005 to 2014. This area is Hooda’s stronghold, and during those ten years, Hooda’s influence was more pronounced here than that of Congress. The people in this region had significant sway in the Hooda government.
Hooda’s influence in this area is evident from the fact that, in 2020, despite the BJP government at the Center and the state, he successfully supported Induraj Bhalu, securing his victory in the by-election held for the Baroda Assembly seat. Induraj defeated BJP candidate and former international wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt by more than 10 thousand votes.
However, the status of this area changed after the formation of the BJP government in 2014. This sentiment lingers in the minds of the people in the area, and Hooda has addressed their concerns.
In Haryana, several Congress leaders are actively opposing Bhupendra Singh Hooda, with Selja, Randeep Surjewala, and Kiran Choudhary at the forefront. Approximately 20 months ago, on April 27, 2022, Hooda removed Selja from the position of Haryana Pradesh Congress President, appointing Chaudhary Udaybhan from his group. This move intensified opposition against him.
Meanwhile, Hooda is making significant promises to the people, positioning himself as the Congress Chief Ministerial candidate. Through the Baroda rally, Hooda conveyed a clear message to the three leaders who have been in opposition for almost one and a half years: if Congress secures a majority, his claim to the post of Chief Minister will be the strongest
