Warring Cong leaders put up united front : The Tribune India

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For Surjewala’s sake

Warring Cong leaders put up united front

NEW DELHI: The candidature of the AICC media head and Kaithal MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala from Jind has united the warring factions of the Haryana Congress, with all top leaders either campaigning for him or about to get involved.

Warring Cong leaders put up united front

Randeep Singh Surjewala. File photo



Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15

The candidature of the AICC media head and Kaithal MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala from Jind has united the warring factions of the Haryana Congress, with all top leaders either campaigning for him or about to get involved.

While Haryana Congress President Ashok Tanwar has been camping in Jind since the day of Surjewala’s surprise nomination, Congress legislature party leader Kiran Choudhry has also been making a regular appearance.

Next in line to join are state Congress stalwart and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda, the Lok Sabha MP from Rohtak.

The Hoodas have called a meeting of workers in Jind on January 17, the day they say they will flag off an aggressive mass campaign for Surjewala.

Hoodas along with other senior Haryana Congress leaders were present in Jind at the time of the filing of Surjewala’s nomination.

All state Congress factions were under instructions from Congress President Rahul Gandhi to put up a united show and back Surjewala, who entered the difficult contest after being egged on by state Congress leaders.

In the run-up to the show of unity in Surjewala’s favour, all Haryana Congress MLAs were present in Delhi where Bhupinder Singh Hooda hosted his annual Lohri lunch.

Even CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, known to be at odds with Hooda, marked a brief presence at the lunch, the first in recent history. She later proceeded for her public meetings in Haryana.

Sources in the Congress today said that while the active involvement of Tanwar and Choudhry in Surjewala’s campaign was imperative — since the Jind byelection is being held under their leadership of the state unit — there is equal expectation of support from the Hoodas.

“The Hooda factor cannot be discounted in Jind where the consolidated Jat vote is 27 per cent, while all other segment votes are lesser in percentage. An honest campaign by Bhupinder Singh Hooda can tilt the Jats in Congress favour. Surjewala, a Jat himself, will do part of the job himself but the Hooda-Surjewala combine can spin wonders. Let us see if that can happen,” a Congress insider said.

With three Jat candidates in the fray and the BJP banking on a non Jat, it remains to be seen which side the majority Jats choose.

The Congress is hoping for BS Hooda to power Surjewala’s campaign although it is common knowledge that the two are political rivals in the state organisation. But there’s also a sense that everyone will have to come together for the future of the party.

Congress sources say Haryana leaders realise that winning Jind is critical to creating a pro Congress momentum in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections especially after the BJP swept municipal polls in the state.

“We have to win Jind for the Congress. State leadership tussles can be addressed later. First we have to show the people of the state that we are in the game for the LS elections. A victory in Jind will show that. That explains why all the leaders will have to play united,” a Congress source said.

Jind bypoll crucial for all 

  • The Congress is hoping for former CM BS Hooda to power Surjewala’s campaign although it is common knowledge that the two are political rivals in the state organisation 
  • But there’s also a sense that everyone will have to come together for the future of the party
  • Congress sources say Haryana leaders realise that winning Jind is critical to creating a pro-Congress momentum in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections especially after the BJP swept municipal polls in the state

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