Haryana Assembly Election 2024: With the votes in Haryana reaching their culmination and suspense gripping the state before counting takes place, the three top Congress leaders are all playing diplomatic moves as each one of them eyes the topmost political position in the state. According to the poll, Congress seems to be getting a clear majority in Haryana and now the phase of fierce battle has begun. The battle means political war under which the battle for the claim of the Chief Minister’s post is going on in the Congress. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Singh Surjewala—each a leader of consequence in the Congress—are jostling for control of the Chief Minister, and their respective moves leading up to counting day indicate that it is internal party forces that will shape the next state face.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda- An Old Hand in Command
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda continues to be one of the most viable contenders for Chief Minister. A two-time CM, he is an experienced politician and a favourite within the Congress ranks. Hooda spent the whole Sunday at his Rohtak residence meeting supporters and connecting with candidates likely to win. It has been said that Hooda, along with his son and MP Deepender Hooda, are calculating win-loss scenarios with younger candidates in a bid to settle down.
By evening, Hooda was seen leaving for Delhi, possibly for more strategic deliberations with the Congress high command. With 72 candidates considered to be Hooda loyalists, a win of around 50 or more of these candidates could fetch him some considerable leverage, as many of these MLAs were likely to back his bid for CM’s position. Through the last five years, Hooda had consolidated his power very well. His influence confidently went into the conclusion stage by setting his protégé Chaudhary Udaybhan as state president and tickets for his loyalists in crucial elections. If internal politics would continue to work well, Hooda will likely be retained for the third consecutive term as Chief Minister.
Kumari Selja- The Persistent Challenger
A Congress MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja remains a vocal aspirant. Selja, who cast her vote immediately after raising slogans for CM Bhupinder Hooda, headed to Salasar Dham in Rajasthan to seek blessings there, obviously also seeking political success. While Bhupinder Hooda has kept the game going from behind the curtains, Selja has publicly proclaimed that Congress will garner more than 60 seats in Haryana and styles herself as a change-maker who can turn the situation around, reversing the alleged mishandling of the state over the past decade by the BJP.
Her credentials for the CM post would also benefit from her long-standing associations within the party, which includes her pre-election meeting with Sonia Gandhi. But on the question of ticket distribution, Selja’s outbursts had their significance. She limited her campaign to around 10-15 constituencies and was hardly pleased with the selection of candidates. But after the high command intervened, she continued campaigning, indicating she doesn’t give up easily.
Randeep Singh Surjewala- A Tactical Campaigner
Randeep Singh Surjewala, an MP in the Rajya Sabha and the other claimant for the CM’s post took a relatively low-profile and strategic calm approach. When Hooda and Selja had been campaigning free all over Haryana, Surjewala’s campaign indeed remained confined largely to Kaithal and Narwana, from where his son Aditya is also contesting. He has focused on helping his son win, thereby giving him more strength. Surjewala has always portrayed himself as a potential CM candidate, though he has shied away from making any overtly inflammatory statements that could unsettle the party before elections.
Surjewala has been deeply involved in the decision-making process of the high command but has generated little friction. This measured approach, coupled with loyalty to the party, has kept him in the race. However, the depth of his support within the state will be revealed only in due course.
The Road Ahead of Haryana Assembly Election 2024
While there is no official declaration of a CM face from the Congress, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Singh Surjewala are all in the fray. Traditionally, the party has avoided a pre-poll announcement of the CM candidate, instead believing in post-poll recommendations by the MLAs. With a solid network of loyalists and past glories, Hooda’s camp is going to be very strong, but Selja and Surjewala would not give up without a fight. That result would be seen in the counting results awaiting Haryana, where the political merriment within Congress would continue and decide which stalwart takes the reins.
The Haryana assembly elections have concluded with the voting round. As per the data provided by the Election Commission of India, 65.65 percent of the votes cast during the state’s October 5 voting period ended at 11:45 p.m. This voting percentage exceeded the record set by the recently held Lok Sabha elections 2024, where 64.8% of the vote was cast. Following the conclusion of the Haryana Assembly Election 2024 voting round, it is anticipated that Congress will have an advantage in the exit polls. Congress is expected to win over 50 seats out of the 90 assembly seats in Haryana, according to the majority of exit polls.