To set house in order, Cong revamp on cards

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28

Ground is being laid for the revamp of the Haryana Congress, where deep divisions between loyalists of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state party president Ashok Tanwar are undermining the party’s organisational and political presence.

Sources said discussions with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have begun on the replacements of Tanwar and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Kiran Choudhry, realising that the divided house needs to be set in order.

An indication of change became imminent in a meeting between senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde and Haryana Congress MLAs to discuss the manhandling of Tanwar by Hooda supporters on October 6. Shinde had asked MLAs what needed to be done to repair the damage.

“Suggestions of MLAs would not have been sought had the party not been serious about the rectification. The MLAs have sought a change in leadership — both at the level of the CLP and the state chief. Change appears imminent,” a senior Congress leader said.

There are concerns over how the party can replace a Dalit leader in Ashok Tanwar, but sources cite the Congress constitution to argue that Tanwar’s term is ending in February. The Congress Working Committee had, in September 2015, cleared amendments to the party constitution. The change included slashing tenure of office-bearers from five to three years.

Tanwar was appointed the Haryana Congress chief in February 2014. Under the constitution, his replacement and that of the CLP are due.

Among names doing the rounds for possible leadership roles are Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, former minister Kumari Selja, and Hooda loyalists Kuldeep Sharma and Geeta Bhukkal.

“The probable replacements are in the realm of speculation. As days go by, things will become clearer,” a source said, acknowledging that the debate on restructuring had started after MLAs told Shinde that they could not work with Kiran and Tanwar in the atmosphere of disharmony and distrust.

The MLAs also said the Congress could not formulate an anti-BJP and INLD strategy unless the state leadership was united.

Rahul reportedly discussed the state of the Haryana Congress with Kumari Selja when she recently called on him.

Shinde, meanwhile, is returning to Delhi on November 8 to finalise his report on Tanwar’s manhandling. The future of the Haryana Congress politics will be clear after Shinde submits his report.