AAP hits wall in former Haryana CM Hooda, will revise strategy in Haryana

Tribune News Service

Ravi S Singh

New Delhi, November 29

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit a wall in its bid to expand its base in Haryana due to a strong rebound by the principal opposition Congress led by former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda.

Political observers are of the view that results of the recent by-election in the Adampur Assembly constituency, and the zila parishad poll results will compel the non-Congress parties, especially the AAP, to take note of the unfolding political dynamics in the state. 

Indications are that there will be churning in the BJP-JJP regarding future strategy against the Congress.

There is palpable concern in the INLD and the AAP, which can hit the jackpot in Haryana politics mainly at the cost of the Congress. 

The Congress appears to have hit its straps in the wake of its central leadership reprising the role of Hooda, who is also leader of the opposition, as its virtual spearhead in the state.

Udai Bhan, a loyalist of Hooda, was made the state president in April this year, which is now appreciated as a broad stroke in the right direction by the Congress leadership. 

The move appears to have paid dividends for the Congress with a telling effect on the AAP in the recent by-election in the Adampur constituency, and the just concluded zila parishad elections.

"The Haryana Congress has found its mojo under Hooda, Udai Bhan and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda," party spokesperson Subhash Chaudhary said.

The Congress has pressed the button on the ruling BJP-JJP combine with Deepender Hooda seeking their stepping down after the zila parishad poll results. He also took potshot at the INLD and the AAP.

Sources said the Congress leaders in Haryana, as a strategy, will step up their campaign to project both INLD and AAP as "B-team" of the BJP to halt Congress' progress.

According to sources, AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken note of the party's poor electoral performance in Adampur and Panchayat elections, besides it reportedly not making much headway in its efforts to expand its base.

AAP leadership is tipped to convene a meeting of state's leaders to take stock of the party's progress and review its strategy after the election results of the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, and elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Leaders and activists of other political parties, especially from the Congress, including former minister from the state Nirmal Singh, had started joining AAP after its landslide victory in Punjab Assembly election.

AAP had created a buzz in Haryana's politics by its claim and intention to emerge as principal challenger to the ruling BJP-JJP in Haryana. In effect, its leaders had started dismissing Congress as a sinking ship under Rahul Gandhi.

Political observers are of the view that what would concern the BJP-JJP and the AAP, which was nursing hope to make it big in the home state of Kejriwal, is the Congress scoring about 43 per cent votes at reserved polling booths in the election in Adampur.

Adampur is considered to be a pocket borough of former chief minister late Bhajan Lal. His grandson was the BJP nominee for the by-election. The might of the BJP-JJP had thrown the kitchen sink in the campaign.

However, the election campaign led by Hooda gave the ruling combination a food for thought and the party registered its best performance in Adamapur since Bhajan Lal quit the Congress.

AAP nominee stood fourth. He lost his deposits in spite of Hisar being the home district of Kejriwal.

However, AAP MP and Haryana-incharge Sushil Gupta said, “Much should not be read into the Adampur and zila parishad election results. AAP has come to stay in Haryana to change the system," Gupta said.

Meanwhile, sources said Hooda will launch a mass contact programme across the state after January 14 ("Makar Sankranti"), next year, leading to the 2024-General Election, and subsequent Assembly election in the state.

Before it, the party will try to ensure the success of Rahul Gandhi-led "Bharat Jodo" campaign when it enters Haryana.   

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