Hooda reaches out to leaders to quell infighting in Congress

nit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, September 9

It is rightly said that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics. This applies to leaders of the Haryana Congress as well, which has been riddled with factionalism and infighting.

Till recently, prominent camps in the state Congress, including those of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former state Congress president Ashok Tanwar, former Union Minister Kumari Selja, former CLP leader Kiran Choudhry and AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, were at loggerheads.

However, as per political observers, the scenario changed as soon as party high command ousted Tanwar and Kiran and installed Selja and Hooda in their respective positions.

Significantly, the ousters and installations have been carried out at a time when the elections to the Haryana Assembly are likely to be announced any time and the ruling BJP has already kicked off its election campaign in the state.

Hence, in a bid to put up a credible performance in the upcoming Assembly elections, newly appointed Haryana Congress president Selja and CLP leader-cum-state election committee chairman Hooda have started making efforts to win over their party leaders who were once considered their detractors.

While Selja is believed to have called state party leaders and advised them to put up a united fight against the BJP, Hooda has started reaching out to leaders of other camps personally.

It is in this context that Hooda went to the residence of former CLP leader Kiran Choudhry located at Sunder Nagar in New Delhi yesterday and held a meeting with her.

Hooda was accompanied by former Haryana Home Minister Subhash Batra, who is considered an expert in political liaisoning. Kiran was accompanied by her daughter and former Bhiwani MP Shruti Choudhry.

Batra siad the meeting was held in an amicable atmosphere and lasted for more than an hour and a half.

He refused to divulge any details of the deliberations held at the meeting, though he conceded that such meetings between Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Ashok Tanwar and Kuldeep Bishnoi, could also be held in the near future.