As Haryana awaits the counting of votes on Tuesday, both BJP and Congress face a daunting task in selecting their chief ministerial candidate, given the multiple claimants vying for the top post in each party.
For the BJP, though the party campaigned under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who was repeatedly endorsed by senior leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, internal competition has raised eyebrows. Former Home Minister Anil Vij , seeking his seventh term from the Ambala Cantt constituency, has claimed he is the strongest contender. His confidence was evident when he told reporters on polling day that he would meet them at the CM residence in Chandigarh if things went well. Adding to the complexity, senior leader Rao Inderjit Singh has advocated for southern Haryana’s representation, stating the region deserves its due, further complicating the decision for the BJP high command.
In the Congress, the race is primarily between former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja. Hooda, a seasoned politician with a strong Jat voter base, has been rallying support since the elections ended, solidifying his position as a front-runner. However, Kumari Selja has not been shy in expressing her ambition, reportedly upset with how her supporters were sidelined during ticket distribution. Randeep Singh Surjewala, another prominent Jat leader and close ally of the Gandhis, could emerge as a compromise candidate to resolve the Hooda-Selja divide, adding another layer of intrigue.
With several heavyweights in the mix, both BJP and Congress face a leadership tussle that could shape Haryana’s political future. The outcome of the vote counting will likely set the stage for intense party deliberations.
After the exit poll results of the 14th assembly elections in Haryana, Congress stalwarts Bhupendra Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala are stalking their claim for the Chief Minister’s post and conducting meeting with their supporters as well as making strategies to keep them united. At the same time, the Congress high command has started preparing the outline from the selection of central observers to sending them to Chandigarh.
Hooda is staking his claim for the post of Chief Minister saying that he had announced last year that the Congress government would be formed in the state. Four out of five MPs of the party, except Kumari Selja, are his supporters. Hisar MP Jaiprakash has come out with a statement that Hooda is set to become the CM on the recommendation of the MLAs.
In the election history of India, be it Congress or the BJP, the high command has surprised many with its decisions. As in the 2005 elections, the Congress party had won 67 seats and Bhajan Lal was to become the Chief Minister, but at the last moment Bhupendra Hooda’s name was announced as the Chief Minister.
The party is pretty familiar that Hooda has prepared the base to compete with BJP in Haryana giving a strong base to the party through manpower, muscle power and money power in these elections.
Political experts believe that if the party high command comes up with an attempt to ignore Hooda, then the Congress party may face trouble in forming government
The second contender is Kumari Selja. She has been consistently saying that high command is the supreme authority. Selja skipped the campaign for about two weeks due to Hooda being given utmost importance in ticket distribution. This aspect is being seen as both negative and positive for Selja.
Some party leaders opine that staying away from election campaigning for about 10 to 12 days just before the election is likely to have resulted in a setback. Although her proximity to the Gandhi family and being a Dalit face strengthens her claim, a lot will depend on who gets the support of the elected MLAs of the party.
Rajya Sabha MP and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala who is also in the fray for the post of CM has said that being ambitious of becoming the Chief Minister is natural thing in the politics and he will accept the decision taken by Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge regarding the face of the Chief Minister.
Surjewala is being considered a dark horse in the race for the post by political experts and in view of the current political circumstances. He is believed to be not in favour of making Bhupendra Singh Hooda the CM. There is also a possibility that Hooda may put forward his son Deependra for the CM post and in this situation Surjewala’s claim for the post will not be strong for the next several years.
