Congress seeks to realign its image in Haryana, to bring in broader representation

Aware that its Haryana unit is in many ways dominated by the powerful Hooda family, the Congress aims to make it a more broad-based set-up with larger representation of various non-Jat caste groups, people aware of the plan said on Monday.

The plan is not to undermine the Hooda family’s importance, which would be a difficult task to achieve in any case, but to give “more representation” to other caste groups, which is also in sync with Rahul Gandhi’s idea of a new-age Congress.

“It is the Congress party that has given 50% reservation to SC, ST, OBCs. We have given reservation for women in panchayats. Therefore, today, we have to reclaim our space,” Haryana in-charge BK Hariprasad told HT.

Hariprasad, a former Rajya Sabha member who has been recently made in charge of Haryana, indicated that the party is looking at creating a more broad-based organisation.

“It is not about excluding someone. It is all about including other people. At this stage, we are not talking about any tickets for elections but strengthening the organisation in Haryana.”

The Congress is out of power in Haryana for the last three assembly polls. The party drew a blank in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but managed to win five of ten seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Several factors, including over-reliance on the Hoodas and the perceived alienation of some non-Jat communities, were identified as possible factors for the party’s failure to win back the assembly from the BJP last year. The Congress had also suffered a shocking defeat in a Rajya Sabha election in the state due to cross-voting—indicating major problems in the organisation.

The party’s emphasis on reviving its organisation at this stage comes when it doesn’t face any major elections in the near future. Also, the party has identified 2025 as the year to uplift the organisation.

Meanwhile, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s fate as the possible Leader of the Opposition hangs in the balance as the Congress high command is yet to decide its LoP. A Three-member panel of the party had submitted its report on the LoP issue but the party seems in no hurry to fix the issue.

The Congress brass has its task cut out as all 22 District Congress Committees (DCC) and the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) are currently dissolved. The party’s priorities in reaching out to caste groups are likely to reflect in the formation of the new committees in the coming days.

Hariprasad added that two major programmes are being undertaken in Haryana by the Congress. The ambitious “Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” and a workshop to educate party leaders on the freedom struggle, the Congress’s contribution into making India as a modern nation and related issues will be taken up.

A meeting of the steering committee of Haryana has been called this week to make plans for the two programmes. While these programmes have been planned by the Congress Working Committee as a major outreach, these can also come in handy for finding new leaders and young talent—something the party lacks in many states.