Congress brass faces uphill task in Haryana, Rajasthan
NEW DELHI: As the Congress reshuffles its state units, the party has its work cut out in at least two states, where it needs to balance prospects and aspirations of powerful local leaders, said two party leaders familiar with developments.
Rajasthan and Haryana, scheduled to face assembly elections in 2023 and 2024, pose a challenge for the Congress brass which recently removed state unit chiefs of all five states that went to polls last month.
In Rajasthan, the Congress is yet to rehabilitate former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, also a former state unit chief. Pilot had rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot government in July 2020, camped with his loyalist MLAs in Haryana in an apparent show of strength but couldn’t topple the Gehlot government. In the past two years, Pilot was seen meeting former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi at least five times. His loyalists claim that Pilot was “assured” of the chief minister’s seat in Rajasthan, the two leaders mentioned above said, adding that replacing Gehlot with Pilot is “easier said than done”.
“The Rajasthan elections are due in another 18 months. If the Congress leadership needs to take a decision about Rajasthan government, it has to be taken now. But the risk of destabilising the last two state governments of the Congress is high,” the leader added. The other leader pointed out that in January, when Rahul sought names of leaders who can play a big role in the AICC organisation, Gehlot’s reference came up. “But Gandhi told his confidantes that Gehlot is not interested in coming to Delhi.”
In Haryana, influential former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda’s overarching presence poses another challenge for the Congress ahead of the elections.
The state now assumes more importance for the Congress as it faces a renewed threat from Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, on a high note after its victory in Punjab. According to a Congress leader, “Haryana, that sits between Delhi and Punjab, poses a tough challenge for the party as AAP has become a major factor.”
Congress sources added that the Hoodas want the Congress to appoint either Bhupender or Deepender as the state unit chief by Diwali. “Their assessment is that otherwise, it would be too late and the Congress will not be able to defeat both the BJP and the AAP in the polls,” said the third leader. But the Congress is in dilemma. According to an internal assessment, Bhupinder and Deepender’s core vote bank lies in Jat belts of the state, where non-Jaats are in majority.