Cong’s new state chief may be from south Hry

The Congress plans to appoint a new Haryana Congress president from southern Haryana, aiming to strengthen ties with OBC voters after recent electoral losses.

Updated on: Sep 18, 2025, 15:48:34 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Capt Ajay Yadav is a six-term MLA, and served as a minister in the state three times. He has also been the leader of Opposition in the state assembly. (HT Photo)

The Congress is preparing to appoint a new Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president likely from southern Haryana, leaders aware of developments said on Wednesday.

The position – which has remained vacant since 1977 – has not been occupied by a leader from southern Haryana since 1972, when Rao Nihal Singh was in charge. Udai Bhan was the last Haryana Congress president.

Party insiders say the absence of representation has steadily weakened the organisation in the southern region’s Ahirwal belt, dominated by other backward classes (OBC), where the Congress lost 10 of 11 assembly seats on way to its shock loss to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state polls last year.

Among the leaders whose names are being considered for the position are former minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, former minister Rao Narendra Singh, former MLA Rao Dan Singh, and former MLA Chiranjeev Rao, said the people cited above.

“For many years, we tried scheduled caste candidates such as Kumari Selja and Ashok Tanwar so we want to try an OBC candidate now,” said a senior party leader, requesting anonymity.

“Jat will have one position and OBC will have a position, but it is up to the high command,” added the leader, signalling that the Leader of the Opposition post is likely to go to a Jat leader. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is the tallest Jat leader in the Congress, which has refrained from appointing a LoP after its defeat in 2024.

Ajay Yadav has earlier called the neglect of south Haryana one of the main reasons for the party’s poor performance and openly appealed to the high command to shift the leadership to the region. “The political review of election results clearly indicates that South Haryana cost Congress the state. In the last assembly elections, the party lost 10 out of 11 seats here because it failed to connect with people. This region, once a stronghold, has shifted to the BJP due to constant indifference. It is high time the party shifts leadership to Ahirwal,” Yadav had said.

Party leaders pointed out that the Congress enjoyed significant support among Ahir voters until 2014, when former Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh moved to the BJP. The community, estimated at over 120,000 in Haryana, is now seen as decisive in state politics.

Yadav argued that while the BJP successfully tapped OBC communities, Congress missed the opportunity. “Yadavs are at the core of the OBC community in Haryana. The party needs to project a strong Yadav leader to win them back,” he added.

Dan Singh said the senior leaders will make a decision on the appointment soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

Bhupinder Singh Hooda

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