Congress makes Hooda coordination panel head, withdraws order in an hour

NO RESAON WAS GIVEN FOR WITHDRAWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY STATE

PARTY IN-CHARGE GHULAM NABI AZAD

CHANDIGARH: An hour after announcing the setting up of a coordination committee for Haryana headed by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress in-charge for Haryana Ghulam Nabi Azad withdrew the order on Friday evening.

The coordination committee was constituted in view of the Lok Sabha elections. No reason was ascribed for withdrawing the announcement.

The appointment of Hooda as the chairman of the coordination committee was seen as a shot in the arm for the two-time chief minister, who had been overlooked by the party high command for the post of Haryana Congress president.

His appointment as the chairperson of the coordination committee which had state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, senior Congress leaders like Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja, Kiran Choudhary, Randeep Surjewala as members was seen as recognition of his political standing by the party high command.

However, the withdrawal of the order to set up the co-ordination committee under the former CM had a dampening effect on Hooda camp.

The other members of the 16 member coordination committee were former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi, former Haryana ministers Mahender Pratap Singh and Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Rohtak MP and Hooda’s son Deepender Hooda, former MP Naveen Jindal, Haryana MLAS Kuldeep Sharma and Jaivir Balmiki, former MLAS Kailasho Saini and Anil Thakkar.

“The announcement of constitution of the coordination committee was withdrawn since the party high command also wanted to announce a campaign committee simultaneously. There is a likelihood of appointing a couple of leaders as working president of the state Congress,’’ a Congress functionary said while talking to Hindustan Times.