The Haryana Congress, initially soaring after an impressive performance in the Lok Sabha elections, has now found itself in unexpected turmoil following the results of the Assembly elections held only six months later. The high expectations of a two-thirds majority have been crushed, leaving the party not only grappling with defeat but also with internal struggles for leadership.
A High-Flying Party Grounded by Election Results
Just a few months back, Haryana’s Congress party was basking in success, having secured nearly half the seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Supporters and party leaders were optimistic, many confidently dreaming of securing a two-thirds majority in the upcoming state Assembly elections. In fact, one prominent leader seemed to be preparing to take on the role of Chief Minister, addressing rallies with a tone of authority that hinted at his aspirations.
But the political landscape took an unexpected turn. Nayab Saini, the BJP’s declared candidate for Chief Minister, had boldly asserted, “We have made all the arrangements for victory.” And as results rolled in, Saini’s confidence was vindicated, as BJP secured an outright majority, leaving Congress stunned and struggling to regroup.
Adding to the Congress’s woes, the party still has not decided on a Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, even though nearly a month has passed since the election results. Critics and political pundits alike have begun to mock the party’s indecisiveness, pointing out that had Congress actually won, they might still be embroiled in an internal struggle to choose a Chief Minister. The problem isn’t a lack of candidates; rather, it’s the paralysis of the high command, whose authority has eroded due to a series of missteps and has left it reliant on one particularly influential figure in Haryana.
How the High Command Lost Its Grip
This story of factionalism and division in Haryana’s Congress isn’t new. The seeds of today’s crisis were sown back in 2005, when the Congress high command decided to back Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a Jat leader, as Chief Minister, sidelining the more established leader Chaudhary Bhajan Lal, who had non-Jat support. The 2005 Assembly elections saw Congress win a whopping 67 out of 90 seats, and it seemed that Hooda’s leadership could help Congress dominate the political scene in Haryana. However, choosing Hooda over Bhajan Lal created a lasting rift within the party and alienated a significant portion of the non-Jat voter base.
From that point on, the Congress leadership in Haryana became increasingly centered around Hooda and his faction. This approach saw some success initially but has since backfired. By the 2009 Assembly elections, Congress’s seat count dropped to 40. Bhajan Lal had left Congress to form his own party, Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), which won seven seats and deprived Congress of a majority. Yet, Hooda returned to power thanks to a few Independent MLAs, but the party’s reliance on Hooda continued to alienate non-Jat voters.
In the 2014 Assembly elections, held under Hooda’s leadership, Congress was further reduced to a mere 15 seats. This time, the high command took steps to mend relations with the non-Jat community by reintroducing Bhajan Lal’s son, Kuldeep Bishnoi, into the fold. The strategy paid off somewhat, as Congress’s seat count rose to 31 in the 2019 Assembly elections. But this decision came at a cost; another influential leader, Ashok Tanwar, representing the Dalit community, left Congress under Hooda’s influence.
To win back Dalit support, the high command appointed Kumari Selja, another Dalit leader, as the state Congress president. Hooda, however, quickly maneuvered to minimize her role, eventually having his own son, Deepender Hooda, nominated to the Rajya Sabha over Selja and replacing her with his close associate Uday Bhan as state party president. This strategic reshuffling strengthened Hooda’s control but intensified factionalism within the party.
Hooda’s Expanding Influence and the Exodus of Key Leaders
Hooda’s next target was Kiran Chaudhary, the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Chaudhary Bansi Lal. By denying her the position of Congress Legislature Party leader and assuming it himself, he marginalized her influence. Frustrated by the internal dynamics, Kiran Chaudhary, like Kuldeep Bishnoi, eventually left Congress. Today, only a few prominent leaders remain to counter Hooda’s influence—Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala. However, even their positions have been undermined. In a recent Rajya Sabha election, the high command nominated Ajay Maken, a close ally, to prevent Surjewala from being selected. However, the combined opposition from Kuldeep Bishnoi and Kiran Chaudhary led to Maken’s defeat, forcing the high command to send Surjewala to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan instead.
In the last Assembly elections, Hooda exerted his dominance by ensuring that his faction received 72 of the 90 Congress tickets, effectively sidelining rivals like Selja and Surjewala. Selja responded by distancing herself from the campaign, making her displeasure known. Despite her absence for ten days, the high command turned a blind eye, signaling that either they felt confident in victory without her, or were unwilling to challenge Hooda’s growing authority. Ultimately, this lack of unity and coordination within Congress became glaringly evident in the election results, with voters clearly perceiving the internal discord.
Struggles to Choose the Leader of Opposition
The Congress high command had placed its faith in the slogan “Kisan-Pehlwan-Agniveer,” expecting that Hooda’s appeal within the influential Jat community would secure a majority. Hooda also seemed to believe that his position within the Jat community would guarantee Congress’s success, focusing more on consolidating his faction than defeating BJP. However, Congress’s approach appeared more like a personal battle for power rather than a unified party campaign, with Hooda prioritizing his influence over the party’s interests.
Due to the repeated preference given to the Jat community, the Congress began to lose support from the OBC and Dalit communities, who felt sidelined by Selja’s reduced involvement. Sensing the Congress’s internal chaos, many Jat voters also shifted their support to BJP, who received an estimated 30% of their votes. As a result, Congress’s anticipated strong performance dwindled, while BJP emerged victorious.
Political analysts point out that Haryana’s Jat community rarely votes as a unified bloc. Instead, village-level rivalries and local political dynamics prevent them from rallying behind a single candidate. BJP capitalized on this, while Congress struggled to activate its ground-level organizational roots, which had become dormant over years of factionalism. Experts suggest that if Congress wants to regain its former standing in Haryana, it must shift focus from Hooda’s dominance and instead appeal to its traditional OBC and SC supporters. Appointing a strong leader from the Ahirwal community as the state party president and an SC leader as the Leader of Opposition could help rebuild trust with these groups.
The High Command’s Dilemma: To Support or Challenge Hooda?
Following the party’s poor performance, Rahul Gandhi publicly criticized Congress leaders in Haryana for prioritizing personal gain over party goals. Yet, while acknowledging the issue, the high command faces a difficult choice: it cannot easily remove Hooda from his influential role, nor can it embrace him entirely without risking further divisions. The fear of alienating non-Jat voters looms large if Hooda continues as the face of Congress in Haryana. Yet, if Hooda and his faction aren’t given leadership roles, there’s a possibility he may break away from Congress and establish his own faction, further destabilizing the party and potentially costing it influence in other states as well.
In this dilemma, Congress has kept the question of its Leader of Opposition unresolved. This indecision reflects the high command’s weakened authority and the ongoing struggle to balance the competing demands of various factions.
The Congress high command must now make a crucial decision to either unite the party under Hooda’s leadership or risk a potential split by empowering a broader base that includes OBC and SC representatives. Whatever path it chooses will have far-reaching implications not only for Haryana but for Congress’s political strategy across the country. The winds of change are blowing in Haryana, and it remains to be seen which way the Congress will steer the ship in this turbulent political landscape.
Jag Mohan Thaken, a seasoned political journalist, brings decades of insight into Haryana’s political landscape. The opinions shared here reflect his personal analysis of the ongoing power dynamics within the Congress.