Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka attend Bhupinder Hooda's lunch in Delhi, and why it matters

When the Congress party’s most powerful leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, attended a lunch hosted by former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda at his Delhi residence on Friday, stayed for about 40 minutes, and relished delicacies, it was clear that this was not normal socialising, but a political signal to the faction-ridden party in the state.As many as 50 MPs of the party attended the event, but two state leaders were conspicuous by their absence—Sirsa MP and Dalit leader Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala, whose son, Aditya, is the elected MLA from his stronghold Kaithal.Observers in Haryana Congress said the Gandhis' visit has offered the Hooda camp a much-needed breather within the party after the unexpected setback in the Assembly elections in 2024. Though the Hoodas have been hosting their annual lunch for over a decade, this is for the first time that a member of the Gandhi family has been in attendance.The Hoodas were seemingly under pressure within the state unit of the party as well as from their supporters after the poll debacle, despite having a say in ticket allocation.Rahul and Priyanka looked relaxed, displaying gestures of their lasting relations going back to pre-Independence times of Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s grandfather Matu Ram and Gandhi-Nehru family. However, what surprises many is, why the Gandhis never ‘obliged’ Hooda with such a gesture earlier.The observers claim that the gesture had broken the ice between the Hoodas and the Gandhis, as they believed that Rahul, in particular, was not happy with the poll outcome, and being the tallest leader, the responsibility rested with the former CM. Though the party had reviewed the results, and several factors were cited as reasons for the drubbing, a section of supporters was under the impression that Rahul was not happy with Hooda. This, they believed, explained why it took the party about a year to appoint him as CLP leader.Now, sources said the central Congress was looking towards the Rajya Sabha (RS) poll, to be held in Haryana next year for two MPs, as one seat is expected to come its way. The sources said the BJP might play some ‘game’, like it did in the RS poll in 2016 when it backed independent Subhash Chandra because some Congress MLAs used other than the official pen to mark their preference, and again in 2022, when another BJP-backed independent Kartikeya Sharma got elected to the RS due to cross-voting. However, with 37 MLAs, it’s likely to be smooth sailing for the Congress to secure the berth next year.The Gandhis' visit has apparently reassured Hooda’s position, which is likely to cause some heartburn to other leaders, including Kumari Selja and RS MP Randeep Singh Surjewala. Now, all eyes are on Rahul to see if he would join the ongoing Sadbhav Yatra of former MP Brijendra Singh in Haryana.Master Hari Singh, a political observer, said the message was clear that Hooda was still calling the shots in Haryana Congress.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka attend Bhupinder Hooda's lunch in Delhi, and why it matters

Simply Haryana

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka attend Bhupinder Hooda's lunch in Delhi, and why it matters

Simply Haryana

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

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