The Haryana Hisar bypoll results in which Congress candidate Jai Prakash forfeited his deposit has now paved the way for a churning within the faction-ridden party’s unit with a non-Jat likely to be appointed Pradesh Congress Committee President.
Present incumbent Phool Chand Mullana is perceived as being close to the state’s Jat Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, whose nominee is Jai Prakash. The PCC voicing the sentiments of Hooda has now attributed ‘sabotage’ by other senior party leaders for the Hisar bypoll defeat and demanded action against them. The report will be submitted to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
However, that notwithstanding, as Jaiprakash’s defeat also signals the disenchantment of the non-Jats, the party is inclined to take steps to appease non-Jats in the state who have been feeling increasingly insecure under Hooda.
Hooda’s excessive dependence on the Jats had led to the alienation of several sections in the state and had even been noted by senior party leaders. But this bypoll defeat, especially as this electoral fight had become a prestige issue for the Congress, it only highlighted Hooda’s increasing alienation.
Jai Prakash was Hooda’s nominee and despite strong opposition from other senior leaders like Chaudhry Birender Singh and Kumari Selja; was still fielded as candidate. This led to these discontented leaders being conspicuous by their absence from the electoral campaign. Hooda however did everything to ensure Jai Prakash’s success including campaigning in his constituency for over ten days.
Hooda’s ploy to get the PCC post results to unanimously pass a resolution blaming sabotage by others as the cause for his defeat, has not fooled many within the Congress party.
A senior leader said, “The party will now have to do a re-think on Hooda’s leadership especially as 2014 general elections will have to be kept in mind.But first of all we need to replace the PCC chief with a non- Jat face.”
While Jai Prakash came third, the Jat votes this time were consolidated around Ajay Chautala the INLD candidate. Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi won the polls, riding high on the sympathy wave (the seat was vacated due to his father’s death) and the strength of the large non- Jat segment vote.
Meanwhile Hooda, Jai Prakash, Chaudhry Birender Singh who is also an AICC General Secretary and Kiran Chaudhry have been making a bee line for state in charge B K Hariprasad, to explain their viewpoints.
The latter is likely to meet the Congress president with the four page PCC report and explain his assessment of the situation after Diwali. The decision to take any action based on the report will be taken by the Congress high command.
Nomination for a new HPCC chief, is long overdue and Mulla’s term had been extended due to Hooda’s influence. With Hooda on a weak wicket, the party is now stepping in.
