All eyes on Hooda as he hints at ‘big step’

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 16

All eyes are on former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s rally at Rohtak on Sunday amidst speculations that the senior Congress leader might announce some big step in the wake of the party’s disregard to Congress MLAs’ repeated demands for change of leadership in the state ahead of the Assembly elections.

The speculations have gained ground after Hooda said today that he would take the next step on Sunday based on the sentiments of the people coming to attend his “parivartan maha rally”, though many believe that the former CM is using pressure tactics to bully the central leadership.

Hooda, who had so far been evasive about quitting the party or launching some alternative forum, today gave broad hints that he was not averse to taking any such step.

“I will go by the sentiments of the people at the rally on Sunday,” Hooda told The Tribune on Friday. He, however, refused to divulge the details of what these steps could be.

Addressing a press conference at Rohtak later in the day, Hooda’s protégés Krishan Murti Hooda, a former minister, and Sant Kanwar Dhankar, a former MLA, went a step further when they said that this might be their last presser in the Congress Bhawan.

As a matter of fact, the two Congress leaders had initially told mediapersons that Hooda would announce some major decision at the rally. They went on to add that since the present circumstances were extraordinary, the announcement, too, would be extraordinary.

Asked whether Hooda could announce a new political party, Sant Kanwar said the possibility was not ruled out.

Confronted with what Krishan Murti and Sant Kanwar said at Rohtak, Hooda was evasive and said the media was free to make its own interpretations and he was not sure what the Congress leaders actually said.

A Congress MLA considered close to Hooda said the former CM could announce that he would contest the Assembly poll on the symbol of a political party not having its base in Haryana.

However, Gita Bhukkal, another confidant of Hooda who represents Jhajjar segment in the state Assembly, dismissed any plans to quit the Congress.

Asked why the Hooda camp hadn’t invited any big leader from the Centre for its biggest rally in the state, Bhukkal said: “We have requested Hoodaji to invite Soniaji for the rally and this can still happen.”

While the Hooda camp is busy making the rally a success, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar tried to play down the event.

“There is nothing wrong in holding the rally as long as it is for strengthening the party. The Congress will win the upcoming polls under Soniaji’s leadership,” Tanwar said.

On being asked why wasn’t Sonia Gandhi invited, Tanwar said it was for the organisers to take a call.

Pressure tactics? 

The speculations have gained ground after Bhupinder Singh Hooda said he would take the next step based on the sentiments of the people, though many believe that the former CM is using pressure tactics to bully the leadership.

Downplays event 

State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar on Friday tried to play down the event. “There is nothing wrong in holding rally as long as it is for strengthening the party. The Congress will win the polls under Soniaji’s leadership,” he said.