Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will kick off his ‘Maha Parivartan Rally’ in Rohtak on Sunday and is expected to make an announcement regarding his political future.
Speculations have been rife that Hooda, prominent leader representing the Jat community, may announce the formation of a new party or join the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party. Close aides have been advising Hooda to part ways with the Congress and to front his own political outfit after the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the Lok Sabha polls in Haryana.
Hooda had met senior Congress leaders on Saturday, calling it a routine affair, but denied having met interim President Sonia Gandhi. He said to wait for the ‘Maha Parivartan Rally’ and “things will be clear by Sunday afternoon”. But Haryana Congress leaders have said that they have not received an invite to the rally, further fuelling speculations that the two-time chief minister could change his course.
Hooda's loyalists have been pressing for the Congress MLA from Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi to be the party's CM face in the upcoming assembly elections. However, the Congress high command has rejected the demand.
Hooda has also been at loggerheads with state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, a dalit leader known to be close to Rahul Gandhi, in the past over several matters. Tanwar also suggested that those who had lost Lok Sabha polls should not contest assembly polls. Hooda had lost from Sonipat while his son Deepender Hooda lost in Rohtak.
Hooda and MLAs loyal to him are highly likely to join NCP, Haryana Congress leaders have said. The NCP is part of the UPA and is as good as the Congress party, a senior leader has said. Hooda has the support of 12 MLAs in the 16-member Congress Legislative Party.
