‘SRK’ vs Hooda — Congress factions get to work as candidates list delayed in Haryana

‘SRK’ vs Hooda — Congress factions get to work as candidates list delayed in Haryana

Gurugram: The Congress high command’s delay in releasing the Lok Sabha candidates list for Haryana has not only made aspirants restless, but also stoked the rivalry between factions which are busy projecting their own proteges.

Former parliamentarian and ticket aspirant from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency, Shruti Choudhry, triggered much speculation with a post on X this week. She said a person whose name starts with the alphabet between the letters “S” and “F” on a keyboard — read “D” — was going to lose the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat.

While the BJP candidate from the seat is Dharambir Singh, it could also mean another Congress ticket aspirant Rao Dan Singh, who has the support of senior party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The Leader of Opposition also has state president Udai Bhan in his camp.

The other faction is that of Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala — both AICC general secretaries — and Kiran Choudhury, and is known by the moniker of “SRK”.

The unease around candidates further exacerbated Wednesday when Captain Ajay Yadav, aspirant from Gurugram, spoke openly against actor Raj Babbar. He told the media that if the party wanted to field a Bollywood actor, they should look at Ranvir Singh or Hrithik Roshan who have “mass appeal”.

Contacted by ThePrint, Yadav said he had worked hard for over a month in the Gurugram constituency and covered more than 400 villages. However, when he found out that certain sections within the party wanted Babbar, he stopped campaigning.

“I want to ask them (read the Hooda faction) if people of Gurugram visit Mumbai to meet Raj Babbar for the work to be done here? The BJP fielded Sunny Deol from Punjab but he never turned up in five years. The same will happen to Raj Babbar. If they want to project a Bollywood face, bring someone like Ranvir Singh or Hrithik Roshan with whom the youth identify,” Yadav said.

Haryana’s ruling BJP released its first list of six candidates on 13 March, a day after Manohar Lal Khattar resigned as chief minister and handed over the baton to Nayab Singh Saini.

The list named Khattar from Karnal, Gurugram sitting MP Rao Inderjit Singh for that seat, another sitting MP Krishan Pal Gurjar for Faridabad, yet another sitting MP Dharambir Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, late MP Rattan Lal Kataria’s widow Banto Kataria from Ambala, and former MP Ashok Tanwar from Sirsa. Tanwar recently quit the Aam Aadmi Party to join the BJP.

On 25 March, the BJP released its second list by including the names of sitting MP Arvind Sharma from Rohtak, Haryana Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala from Hisar, MLA Mohan Lal Badoli from Sonipat and former Congress MP Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra. Congress’s Jindal switched to the BJP minutes before the list was announced.

Sure-shots vs the have-nots

Party sources told ThePrint that Kumari Selja and Mullana MLA Varun Chaudhary were finalised for Sirsa and Ambala respectively.

There are, however, contesting claims between the Hooda faction and the Selja-Randeep-Kiran clan over other seats. Hooda wants former minister Karan Dalal in Faridabad, while the ‘SRK’ group prefers ex-minister Mahinder Pratap Singh.

Hooda is batting for Raj Babbar from Gurugram while SRK wants former minister, Captain Ajay Singh Yadav. For Karnal, rival claimants are former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma or his son Chankaya Pandit (Hooda) and Congress leader Virender Rathore (SRK).

Hooda faction wants Rao Dan Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh while SRK is in favour of former MP and Kiran Choudhry’s daughter, Shruti Choudhry.

Son Deepender Hooda is the choice from Rohtak, while SRK faction is pushing for senior Hooda here because the former’s Rajya Sabha term will last till 2026 and once vacated, the seat was sure to go to the BJP given the party’s position in the Vidhan Sabha.

Sources said if Deepender Hooda was not fielded and Bhupinder Singh Hooda doesn’t show any interest in view of the impending Assembly polls, Hooda’s wife Asha Hooda could be the candidate.

For Hisar, Brijendra Singh seems to be the final choice, though the Hooda faction wanted former MP Jai Parkash. Former deputy chief minister Chander Mohan’s name was also doing the rounds with the contention that the Congress could benefit due to Kuldeep Bishnoi’s disenchantment with the BJP by fielding his elder brother Mohan. Similarly at Sonipat, the Hooda faction wants a Brahmin face while the other camp wants to field a Jat.

Contacted by The Print, AICC in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria said the candidates list was pending with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. “He is expected to look at it today and hopefully it will be released soon.”

(Edited by Tikli Basu)