The installation event of newly-appointed Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan on Wednesday turned out to be an exercise by Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda to show his strength.
Having swung the party’s central leadership his way to clinically get former state unit chief Kumari Selja tender her resignation and get his own man appointed as state party president, Hooda on Wednesday ensured that Bhan’s installation becomes a spectacle and conveys his crowd gathering capabilities to the high command.
The manner in which Hooda and his Rajya Sabha MP son, Deepender steered the show, it only reconfirmed that Bhan, a staunch Hooda loyalist, will be no more than a dummy state Congress president.
However, what the new dispensation has so far failed to achieve is reducing friction among the factions in party.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi and chairman of party’s other backward classes(OBC) department Capt Ajay Yadav stayed away from the installation event while Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry did not come due to Covid infection.
Former state president Kumari Selja came to the party office to attend the event but left due to inordinate delay of Bhan and Hooda’s arrival.
{{/usCountry}}Former state president Kumari Selja came to the party office to attend the event but left due to inordinate delay of Bhan and Hooda’s arrival.
{{/usCountry}}The newly-appointed Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Udai Bhan on Wednesday said he will work hard to strengthen the party and ensure that Congress forms the next government in state.
Udai Bhan was accompanied by Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Deepender , who were standing beside him in the open vehicle when his cavalcade, on its way to Chandigarh, got a rousing welcome by Congress workers at multiple locations on NH-44.
It took about 12 hours for the Hooda-Bhan cavalcade to reach the party office in Chandigarh from Delhi.
Since Udai Bhan is considered a close associate of Hooda, the former CM’s camp showed its strength on the GT Road belt as many programmes were organised by his supporters at all assembly constituencies on NH-44 from Sonepat to Ambala.
The road show was organised as Udai Bhan was heading towards the Chandigarh office of the party to officially assume charge. The party workers were seen carrying rose petals and garlands to welcome the new HPCC chief as the cavalcade took hours to reach Karnal from Kundli border.
After being delayed due to rain, the road show was accorded a grand welcome in Ambala as well. At Mohra crossing on NH-44, party MLA from Mullana constituency, Varun Chaudhary, accompanied by scores of workers, garlanded the leaders, while they were on their way to Chandigarh.
A few kilometres away, leaders from Cantonment area welcomed them near Kali Paltan flyover. Former mayoral candidate Amisha Chawla and wife of Hooda’s former media coordinator Bittu Chawla, greeted the leaders near Jaggi City Centre and workers from Naraingarh near Baldev Nagar crossing.
Former state chief Kumari Selja’sloyalist and former chief parliamentary secretary and ex-MLA from Naraingarh seat in Ambala, Ram Kishan Gujjar was appointed as one of the four working presidents under state chief Udai Bhan.
Reacting to a question, Hooda said the new appointments will give strength to the party because people are looking towards the Congress as the BJP-JJP coalition government has lost faith.
On a question about internal differences within party leaders, Hooda said Congress is united and the decision taken by the party high command is accepted to all leaders.
Udai Bhan said the party will win all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections due in 2024. He also hinted at restructuring of the party from block to state level. He added that nobody is upset over his appointment.