Chandigarh: A voice of resentment rose from the Congress in Haryana hours after Jyotiraditya Scindia’s resignation and a rebellion involving at least 22 MLAs thrust its government in Madhya Pradesh into crisis.
Kuldeep Bishnoi, 51, one of the Congress’ young Haryana leaders and son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, tweeted Tuesday about alleged resentment and disillusionment among Congress leaders across the country.
.@JM_Scindia’s departure is a big blow to @INCIndia. He was a central pillar in the party & the leadership should’ve done more to convince him to stay. Like him, there are many other devoted INC leaders across the country who feel alienated, wasted & discontented. 1/2 https://t.co/oTLXuqTAui
— Kuldeep Bishnoi (@bishnoikuldeep) March 10, 2020
2/2 India’s oldest party needs to empower young leaders who have the capacity to work hard & resonate with the masses.
— Kuldeep Bishnoi (@bishnoikuldeep) March 10, 2020
Bishnoi is currently an MLA from Adampur.
Like in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress in Haryana is witnessing an alleged tussle over nominations to the Rajya Sabha and Bishnoi’s tweet is being seen in that light.
The Congress’ sole assured seat in the Rajya Sabha from Haryana is currently held by state party chief Kumari Selja. Her term comes to an end on 9 April and she is expected to be renominated by the party when elections are held later this month.
However, given the fact that she already holds the post of state chief, several other aspirants are said to have their sights set on the seat. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is now the leader of the opposition, is said to be eyeing the seat for his son and former Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda.
Deepender had lost the 2019 parliamentary polls by a thin margin.
Sources in the party said former Congress MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is considered to be very close to former party chief Rahul Gandhi, could also be among the probables.
According to highly-placed sources in the party, although Bishnoi is not in the race for the Rajya Sabha seat himself, he would not be averse to his wife Renuka or his son Bhavya being nominated.
The Congress reaction to Bishnoi’s tweet would depend substantially on Hooda’s preferences.
Out of the 31 Congress MLAs in the assembly, Hooda has the support of 28. The Congress also owes its comeback in the assembly elections to Hooda, whose dominance among leaders in Haryana is a fact the central leadership cannot ignore.
Also Read: A spurned satrap & burning egos — warning signs Congress ignored in Haryana for 5 yrs
A love-hate relationship with Congress
The Bishnois have had a love-hate relationship with the Congress ever since Bhajan Lal was trumped by Hooda in 2005 for the post of chief minister.
While Bhajan Lal had led the Congress election campaign that year, in a last-minute move, Sonia Gandhi, then the Congress president, made Hooda the chief minister. Bhajan Lal subsequently left the party and founded the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) two years later.
As HJC chief, Bishnoi fielded candidates for all of Haryana’s 90 assembly seats in 2009 polls, but won all of seven.
After Bhajan Lal’s death in 2011, Bishnoi won the ensuing bypoll from family stronghold Hisar with the BJP’s backing. However, the HJC-BJP alliance did not last long and ended just before the 2014 assembly elections.
In 2016, following a meeting between Bishnoi and Rahul Gandhi, HJC merged with the Congress.
In the 2019 parliamentary polls, Bishnoi managed to get a Congress ticket for his son Bhavya to contest from the Hisar seat. Bhavya lost the elections and had to forfeit the deposit.
Sources in the Congress said the Bishnois had been upset about the party not coming to their aid after the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department launched an investigation against them for allegedly amassing undisclosed wealth overseas.
Not a major player in the Congress any more in the wake of Hooda’s reemergence, Bishnoi’s tweet is likely to be seen by the party high command as an attempt to mend fences with the BJP in order to take the heat off his family.
Also Read: Inside story of how Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi forced Jyotiraditya Scindia to dump Congress