ChandigarhOctober 1, 2025 06:39 PM IST
First published on: Oct 1, 2025 at 06:39 PM IST
While the Congress has attempted a balancing act by elevating former state minister Rao Narender Singh, who belongs to the OBC community, as the president of its Haryana unit, the appointment of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader underscores that he continues to wield significant influence in the party’s state affairs.
Hooda’s delayed appointment — coming nearly a year after the Congress suffered a “shock” defeat in the Assembly elections, attributed largely to his “non-accommodative” stance towards rival factions during ticket distribution — is seen as a result of his firm hold on most of the party’s 37 MLAs and his strong ties with the farming community in Haryana as well as neighbouring Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
A two-time CM, four-time MP, and six-time MLA, Hooda, who hails from the dominant Jat community, is regarded as one of the towering leaders of the region. Despite criticism from rivals and from within Congress factions, he is set to become the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Haryana Assembly for the fourth time.
Even Singh, who unlike outgoing state chief Udai Bhan is not seen to be a member of Hooda’s core team, was elevated on Hooda’s recommendation. Sources said the former CM had also pushed for Rao Dan Singh’s candidature but failed to secure support from rival camps.
With Narender Singh’s appointment, the Congress, however, will be hoping to bridge the gap between warring factions — an issue that has plagued the party in the state for long. In what is being seen as the first step towards “reconciliation,” the new state chief met Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala — seen as belonging to Hooda’s rival camp — while another perceived Hooda rival, Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, conveyed her best wishes.
The only notable dissent came from senior Congress leader and former state minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, whose son and former MLA Rao Chiranjeev was considered among the contenders for the post. “Given the continuously declining graph of the Congress in Haryana, the party needs to introspect regarding the decision taken today. (Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi ji’s wish was that the president of the Haryana Congress be a person whose image is completely clean, spotless, and representative of young leadership. However, today’s decision appears to be exactly the opposite of this. Because of this, the morale of the party workers and cadre has completely fallen,” he said, referring to the Cash-for-Land-Use allegations against Narender Singh from the time he was a minister.
Party insiders, however, maintain that the real test of reconciliation will become clear only after Narender Singh begins making decisions. “If any camp feels that the state chief is inclined towards a particular leader, it will not hesitate to voice its opposition,” a source said.