Even as the Congress party is yet to decide its Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Haryana assembly, there are growing murmurs about Randeep Singh Surjewala being considered for the role of state unit president.
Surjewala is currently holding the post of AICC general secretary, managing Karnataka Congress. According to sources, there are a few senior leaders in Delhi who want to free him from the resource-rich Karnataka and deploy him in his home state, Haryana.
However, all eyes are on whether former Haryana chief minister Bhupender Singh Hooda will throw a spanner in his growing role in Haryana. Sources indicate that Surjewala's elevation in the state may not augur well for the Hoodas, and it might even spell the sunset for senior Hooda’s political career.
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A Congress leader said, "If Surjewala becomes the president, he will have his own set of loyalists. Presently, Hooda's team is holding key positions in the state.” The leader said if Surjewala is given the position, it will also open the possibility of projecting him as the chief minister face for the next assembly elections.
Congress insiders, meanwhile, reveal that the infighting between the two factions led by Hooda and Selja Kumari (who is currently a general secretary) has delayed the decision on the appointment of the LoP. The rumour mills have it that Hooda may not get the post again. The same factionalism, according to party insiders, is also causing a delay in the decision over the president's post. The current Pradesh president Udhai Bhan is a Hooda loyalist.
A leader close to Surjewala said, "Surjewala is not part of either faction”. Whether this will go in Surjewala’s favour is yet to be seen.
