Amid talks of change of guard, Bhupinder Hooda meets KC Venugopal

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, April 14

Amidst demand for the change of guard in the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda today met All India Congress Committee General Secretary KC Venugopal in New Delhi.

Selja, Hooda not on same page?

Hooda and Selja had called for a party meeting on the issue of Punjab’s resolution on Chandigarh on the same day, April 3, at different locations. At Selja’s meeting, five MLAs reached, while 25 responded to Hooda’s call in New Delhi.

Sources said Hooda met Venugopal as there was delay in naming the next Haryana Congress president. There has been consistent demand from the Hooda camp for replacing incumbent state unit chief Kumari Selja.

Soon after meeting Venugopal at the party’s office on 15, Gurdwara Rakabganj Road, Hooda left for Jhajjar. Though Venugopal didn’t answer to phone calls or text message, Hooda confirmed, “There was a discussion on political affairs. It happens on a routine basis.” The former CM refused to divulge further.

Sources confirmed that Hooda had been assured that soon new chief would be announced, which could be “within a week” too. The new chief is likely to be from the Hooda camp.

Last year, as many as 22 MLAs had met Venugopal and pressed for a key role for Hooda in the state unit and bigger say in the organisational matters. As the tug of war started between the two, both Hooda and Selja have not been attending each other’s programmes.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi met Haryana leaders on March 25 to break ice and asked them to talk frankly. Haryana in charge Vivek Bansal, Selja, Hooda, AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda, ex-CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, Deputy CLP leader Aftab Ahmed and Congress OBC cell chairman Ajay Yadav were present at the meeting. He called for “organisational unity” amongst the factions. But nothing changed.

Hooda and Selja called for a party meeting on the issue of Punjab’s resolution on Chandigarh on the same day, April 3, at different locations. At Selja’s meeting, five MLAs reached, while 25 responded to Hooda’s call in New Delhi. Congress has 31 MLAs in the Haryana Legislative Assembly.

On April 7, Hooda skipped the party’s protest in Chandigarh, which was led by Selja and Bansal.

Selja couldn’t be contacted for comments. “I have no idea. I have been in Karnataka for the past five days,” said Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala, on the change of guard in the state. Former CLP leader Kiran Choudhry clarified, “I am not a contender for Haryana Congress president’s post.”

Haryana in charge Vivek Bansal said he didn’t want to offer any comments

on the change of leadership as media had been misquoting him.

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