In the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, Congress leader Brijendra Singh contested from the Uchana Kalan constituency but lost narrowly to the BJP by just 32 votes. His defeat, however, was widely attributed to infighting within the party.
Voices within the Congress suggested that the three first-time independent candidates, who contested from the same seat, may have been strategically fielded by former chief minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda, drawing nearly 52,000 votes that could otherwise have gone to Brijendra.
While Hooda may have succeeded in preventing Brijendra’s victory, he too faced a setback as leader of the Congress’s Haryana unit, marking a third consecutive electoral defeat for the party under his watch. A year later, Brijendra took to the streets on October 5, 2025, with the “Sadbhav Yatra,” positioning it as an offshoot of the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. Covering more than 80 of the state’s 90 assembly constituencies, the yatra is set to conclude its public outreach on May 5.
At 53, Brijendra is seen as relatively young in state politics, and his attempt to assert himself four years ahead of the next elections reflects a long-term strategy to build grassroots connect. While there is a tilt among sections of the public towards him, sections of the party cadre have, however, remained hesitant to fully align with his campaign, according to a senior Congress leader.
A key highlight of the yatra has been the backing from the central leadership. Brijendra met Rahul Gandhi on March 12 and invited him to join the yatra. Gandhi had indicated that he would try to participate during its final phase. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement of Brijendra may also create unease for Hooda, who has led the Haryana Congress for the past two decades and contained the rise of potential rivals within the state to continue his dominance. But the party has made consistent efforts in the past to move from Hoodas.
It took the Congress nearly a year after the assembly elections to appoint the Leader of Opposition; the party had to finally reappoint Bhupendra Hooda as Leader of Opposition in the state. The general point of view of Congressmen is that he would only make way for his son Deependra Hooda to carry forward his legacy. As a result, Brijendra may continue to face challenges in crossing a certain political threshold in the state.
Yet political observers believe Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement could provide political oxygen to Brijendra, strengthening his standing within the Haryana Congress and signalling his emergence as a serious contender for a larger role.
Senior leaders point out that the party high command has, in recent years, backed several leaders, such as Ashok Tanwar, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja, in an attempt to move beyond Hooda’s dominance. However, none have been able to build sufficient confidence among the rank and file or match Hooda’s mass appeal, leaving the party still reliant on his leadership.
For Brijendra, a Jat leader, a real breakthrough will depend on whether his outreach translates into tangible political gains, either through wider public acceptance or cadre mobilisation, after which the party could depend on him for major electoral responsibilities. His social identity also matters, given that Jats constitute over 30 per cent of Haryana’s population, making him a potentially important figure for the party’s caste arithmetic.
Within the party, there is a growing view that Hooda’s continued dominance is becoming counterproductive. Despite his grip over the organisation, Hooda has failed to bring the Congress back to power in three consecutive assembly elections. Factionalism has further weakened the party, particularly at the grassroots level, where local leaders aligned with different camps often try to undercut each other.
Brijendra says that factionalism has not just affected individuals within the party but has weakened the entire organisation. One of the key reasons, he argues, why favourable public sentiment failed to translate into votes in the 2024 assembly elections was the absence of a strong organisational structure. He points to the past 12 years, during which there was no proper setup at the district or block level.
Political commentator Ajay Jha suggests the party is not in a hurry to alter the status quo in Haryana, given that elections are still over four years away. “Rahul is pushing him now because, over the years, he has promoted several leaders, but none could match Hooda’s mass appeal. In the coming time, he can be one of the big leaders in Haryana if he stays in the Congress. For now, he needs to increase his mass appeal.”
Brijendra points to certain positives, highlighting that around 12 district presidents actively led the yatra in their respective districts. Why did some district presidents join him and others didn't?
The 32 district presidents appointed last year may have had to choose between the established leadership of Hooda, their own free will, and the central leadership’s message of backing the yatra, which may have influenced some to align with it.
He also observes that a large section of committed Congress workers, who had become inactive due to a lack of organisational space, are now returning through the yatra.
He views factionalism as a byproduct of this organisational vacuum. “In the absence of a structured chain of command, communication from the All India Congress Committee failed to reach the grassroots and instead flowed through ticket aspirants and their networks,” Brijendra says. “With organisational appointments made since August, the situation is beginning to stabilise, though it will take time to undo habits formed over more than a decade.”
On the timing of the yatra, he takes a different view from critics, saying that after a defeat that could have been converted into a victory, there was a clear message from both the people and the cadre to reconnect, rebuild, and restart. “The yatra is part of a broader corrective process rather than merely an electoral exercise.”
Brijendra underlines that politics cannot be episodic and requires consistent engagement, both ideologically and organisationally, especially in countering the BJP. Though not an MP or MLA, he says he drew inspiration from the Bharat Jodo Yatra and felt a similar effort was needed at the state level.
Describing the initiative as an honest effort, he suggests that had it been undertaken closer to elections, it might have been seen as vote seeking. Instead, he frames it as an outreach centred on brotherhood and local issues, without directly seeking votes. He also acknowledges that while political ambition exists, his immediate focus remains on organisational work, leaving future decisions to the party.
He adds that the yatra will continue till May 5, after which the next step will be to reconnect with people, including old Congress workers, new supporters, and recent participants, and to build on the momentum created.
Brijendra, a former IAS officer and later a Member of Parliament from the BJP who crossed over to the Congress just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has a rich political background. He is the son of former Union Minister Birender Singh and the great-grandson of the iconic farmer leader Sir Chhotu Ram. Interestingly, Birender Singh is Bhupendra Singh Hooda’s first cousin. Yet, despite being family, they have been long-standing political rivals. Whether there will be a shift in power within the extended family or Hooda will continue to hold his ground remains to be seen.