Rahul Gandhi's Sadbhav Yatra entry gives Brijendra Singh political oxygen in Haryana Congress

Bureaucrat-turned-politician Brijendra Singh, 53, concluded his months-long Sadbhav Yatra in Gurugram's Harinagar after travelling across all 90 Assembly constituencies in the state.

As Rahul Gandhi participated in the final stretch of the yatra, it is being seen as a major political boost for Brijendra Singh, opening up a wider political space for him within the Haryana Congress.

As thousands gathered during the concluding phase of the rally, Rahul Gandhi’s presence sent a strong message that Brijendra enjoys the backing of the AICC leadership—a perception that is expected to translate into greater acceptance for him within the Haryana Congress.

The projection has also fuelled speculation that another power centre may be emerging within the state unit.

For nearly two decades, the Haryana Congress has remained heavily dependent on former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda, with the party’s political direction largely revolving around his decisions.

Although the Congress high command had earlier attempted to build alternative centres of leadership through figures such as Randeep Singh Surjewala, Kumari Selja, and Ashok Tanwar, none could withstand Hooda’s organisational dominance within the state unit.

However, as Rahul Gandhi attended the concluding event of the yatra, Bhupendra Singh Hooda, who had stayed away from the march throughout, eventually joined the final leg.

The yatra, for which Brijendra Singh has travelled nearly 2,700km, is being seen as the latest attempt by the central leadership to create a balance within the Haryana Congress, particularly after the party’s repeated electoral setbacks in the state under Hooda’s leadership.

Among sections of the Congress leadership, there is also an understanding that the party has “put all its apples in one cart” by remaining excessively reliant on Hooda as the sole dominant face in Haryana.

Even leaders close to Singh privately admit that loosening Hooda’s grip over the state organisation will not be easy.

Supporters of Brijendra Singh argue that while many in politics initially did not take the yatra seriously, Hooda knew its importance very well.

According to them, Hooda was wary that Rahul Gandhi's participation would not only give Singh political legitimacy within the Congress in the state, but would also help expand the latter's support base on the ground.

A political analyst remarked that the "challenge lies in popularity and organisational depth".

"Hooda remains extremely influential among Jat voters, while Brijendra has only recently begun building a mass connect. His outreach will require sustained effort as well as consistent backing from the party high command. Ultimately, it could become a zero-sum game, where one leader’s rise is seen as another’s decline—and whether Hooda allows that space to emerge remains to be seen," the analyst added.