Among the assembly elections of three states to be held this year, Haryana is the only state where Congress can single-handedly claim to form the government. Congress’s performance in the assembly elections held in 2019 and the Lok Sabha elections held in 2024 has been strong. But the problem of Haryana Congress is that the factionalism here ruins the fortunes of Congress. The situation of factionalism can be understood in this way that only 2 months are left for the assembly elections to be over and 2 political tours are going on in the state. And there is no communication between the two. Former Chief Minister of the state Bhupendra Singh Hooda is taking out a yatra in which his son MP Deependra Hooda is being described as the chief ministerial candidate. The second yatra is under the leadership of Dalit leader and MP Kumari Shailja, in which Shailja is calling herself the future Chief Minister of the state. But the Congress high command will not let the assembly elections to be held in 2024 slip out of its hands due to factionalism. According to political analysts of Haryana, it seems that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi can declare a Dalit as the CM candidate in Haryana. It may be Kumari Shailja or someone else but this possibility cannot be ruled out. Why this decision can prove to be a master stroke for Rahul Gandhi and Congress. Because doing so can prove beneficial for Congress at many levels.
1-Why this bet can prove to be a master stroke for Congress
If Congress declares a Dalit CM candidate in Haryana, then understand that Rahul Gandhi’s words in which he has repeatedly expressed sympathy for the Dalits will be confirmed. The way Rahul Gandhi made saving the Constitution an issue, raised the issue of not including Dalit and backward officers in the Halwa ceremony during the budget formulation, the way he is demanding caste census in every speech, the way in every speech of his In this case, there is talk of interest of Dalits and weaker sections, this decision will strengthen the trust of common people in them. This will be a big achievement for the personality of Rahul Gandhi. Now when Rahul Gandhi talks like this, the question arises that he is only talking and is not actually doing anything. But after putting forward the name of Dalit leader Charanji Singh Channi as the CM candidate in Punjab, this will be the second time that Rahul Gandhi will declare a Dalit CM candidate. Before this, in Karnataka also, Congress had made Siddaramaiah, who comes from Dalit community, the CM. Congress had already expressed its intentions by making Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge the President of Congress. If a Dalit becomes the CM in Haryana, then it will prove beneficial for Congress in the future in Western UP, Delhi, and Punjab also.
2- How important is Dalit politics in Haryana?
The big decision of the Dalit CM candidate to tap the 19% Dalit vote in Haryana can prove to be a game changer for the party. There are 17 assembly seats reserved in the state. The total number of assembly seats in the state is 90. To get majority it is necessary to win a total of 46 seats. Obviously, the chances of the Dalits of the state getting outright votes in the name of a Dalit CM candidate will increase. Congress has already taken the first step to woo the Dalits by making Chaudhary Udaybhan the state president. It is noteworthy that Udaybhan also comes from Scheduled Caste. BSP has also been getting some votes of Dalits in Haryana. BSP has formed an alliance with INLD in the state. BJP has also been claiming to get Dalit votes. The reason for this has been that where Jat votes have been falling, generally Dalit votes have not been falling. But due to the Save Constitution slogan and Dalit CM candidate, the trend may change in the state this time. Dalit votes will be able to cause a huge upheaval not only on reserved seats but also on general seats.
3-Congress’s silence on Kumari Shailja’s visit
Generally, the group of former Chief Minister Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh Hooda is the most powerful in Haryana. Hooda supporters got the maximum number of tickets in the Lok Sabha elections. Bhupendra Hooda faction has also been effective in the 2029 assembly elections. In the Lok Sabha elections, Bhupendra Hooda’s group and Kumari Selja’s group were working like completely different parties. Both the groups have taken out their tours in Haryana. There are pictures of Chaudhary Virendra Singh and Randeep Surjewala in Kumari Shailja’s posters, but the pictures of State President Udaybhan and Bhupendra Singh Hooda are missing.
During Shailaja’s travels, she is being described as the CM candidate in the state, while during Bhupendra Singh Hooda’s travels, Deependra Hooda is being described as the CM candidate. Hooda faction has the support of 4 MPs of the state whereas Shailja has no MP but Chaudhary Virendra Singh and Randeep Surjewala are with her. But the local people are expressing surprise at the silence of the high command on the visit of Shailaja group. Senior journalist Ajay Deep Lather, an expert in Haryana politics, says that there can be no doubt that the Congress high command should declare Kumari Shailja as the CM candidate. In fact, Kumari Shailaja’s impeccable image and her being a woman can also work in her favor. His closeness to Sonia Gandhi is also well known. Lather says that at this time the Jats of Haryana only want to see BJP defeated. For this he will also accept Kumari Shailja as CM candidate.
4-DK Shivakumar’s case is an example
The role of current Deputy CM of the state DK Shivakumar was very important in the victory of Congress in Karnataka Assembly elections but CM Siddaramaiah was made CM. There were two reasons working behind this. Firstly, Siddaramaiah being a Dalit and secondly, there are ED and CBI cases against DK Shivakumar. Congress understands very well that as of today, the Center can have the audacity to send any CM to jail at any time. We have seen this in the case of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Since CBI and ED cases are also registered against Bhupinder Singh Hooda, he may have to go to jail any time. Secondly, Hooda has been close to Robert Vadra. It is because of Hooda that Robert Vadra’s name has been dragged into many cases. Congress would never want old dead bodies to be uprooted again. However, due to all these things, Bhupendra Singh Hooda is putting forward his son’s name for CM candidate instead of his own name. But even if everyone in Haryana Congress can agree on the name of Bhupendra Hooda, all the groups will never be ready for his son Deependra Singh Hooda.