Factionalism Rocks Congress Party As Haryana Elections Near

Will the Congress party secure victory in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections? This question will be answered after the voting on October 5 and the vote counting on October 8.

Out of the 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly, candidates for 41 seats have been declared. The announcement for the remaining 49 seats is expected soon.

As soon as Congress announced 41 candidates in Haryana, a wave of resignations followed. Many leaders left the party and joined others. This internal strife suggests that Congress's dream of regaining power in Haryana after ten years might remain unfulfilled due to increasing factionalism and rebellion within the party.

The nomination of Renu Bala in Sadhaura led Brijpal and Pinki Chappar to leave the party. Former Minister Ramkumar Valmiki decided to contest independently in Nilokheri. In Shahbad, Prem Hingakhedi was upset with Ramkaran Kala's candidature, who came from JJP. In Baroda, Jitendra Hooda might contest independently due to Induraj Singh Narwal's ticket. Dr. Kapoor Narwal, close to former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, left the party because of Narwal. In Julana, many leaders, including Parminder Singh Dhul, were unhappy with Vinesh Phogat's candidature.

In an interview with News18 India, Kumari Shailaja criticised Bhupinder Singh Hooda, questioning who would be the Chief Minister. She declared herself a contender for the CM post. During her campaign, Shailaja mentioned that workers call her CM wherever she goes.

The political clash between former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Sarsa MP and Congress General Secretary Shailaja Kumari has become evident. Shailaja has declared her claim for the CM post while Hooda is influencing candidate selection. The alliance with Aam Aadmi Party did not materialise, leading Congress to release two lists of 32 candidates on 6th September 2024, including 28 incumbent MLAs.

Reports suggest that Bhupendra Singh Hooda has outdone Kumari Shailaja in the first list of Congress candidates. Out of these, 28 are from Hooda's faction while only four are from Shailaja's faction.

Congress's Situation in Haryana Elections

In the 2014 and 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, BJP formed the government after winning. Congress has been out of power in Haryana for ten years. In the last election, BJP won 40 seats while Congress secured 31 seats. BJP formed a government with JJP, which won ten seats.

This time, Congress aimed to form an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party but failed due to disagreements over seat sharing. Consequently, Congress is contesting all 90 seats independently despite Rahul Gandhi's preference for an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party.

The internal conflicts and resignations within Congress indicate significant challenges ahead for the party in the upcoming elections. The outcome will depend on how effectively they manage these issues and present a united front to voters.