E-Paper
Congress appoints Bhupinder as LoP in Haryana assembly
Congress appoints Bhupinder Singh Hooda as Haryana's Leader of Opposition and Rao Narender Singh as state unit chief, marking a new OBC-Jat strategy.
Nearly a year after the Haryana election in 2024, the Congress High Command on Monday appointed former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Haryana assembly.
But to maintain a balance in the state unit, the Congress appointed Rao Narender Singh, Yadav (OBC) as the state unit chief of the Congress.
The appointments were made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, an official statement said.
A senior functionary aware of the details told HT, “This is the first time we have decided to promote a functionary from OBC. Earlier, we tried Jat and SC combination in Haryana. But for the first time in recent years, we are trying Jat and OBC combination. We are hopeful it will give us political dividends.”
Peeved at the party’s defeat in the Haryana assembly poll, Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi did not clear Hooda’s appointment as the LoP.
The 2024 Haryana elections were held in October but the party had refused to extend legislative perks and privileges to Hooda.
According to two leaders, Haryana Congress in charge BK Hariprasad came out with this new formula which was supported by both Gandhi and Kharge.
Hooda was the CM of Haryana from 2004 to 2014. The BJP has been in power in the state since.
