The Hindu : Other States / Haryana News : Surjewala working president of Haryana Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

Other States

Other States - Haryana

Surjewala working president of Haryana Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, DEC.8 . In a major political development, the Congress high command today appointed the All-India Youth Congress president, Randeep Singh Surjewala, as working president of the faction-ridden Haryana unit of the party. The former Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal, would continue as the president of the party unit.

According to highly-placed sources, the sudden appointment of Mr.Surjewala, who has been playing an active role in State politics of late, will hopefully revitalise the youth and also send a message to the dominant Jat community that the party would stand by them and give them their due share in the delicate power sharing equation that may emerge in case the Congress comes to power in the State in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections.

Interestingly, two other Jat leaders who had been trying to oust Mr.Bhajan Lal and wrest control of the Pradesh Congress Committee before the elections seem to have achieved some sort of success as the wings of their arch-rival, Bhajan Lal, have been somewhat clipped. The two leaders are, incidentally, organising separate functions tomorrow to celebrate the birthday of the party supremo, Sonia Gandhi.

According to insiders, neither Randeep nor his father, Shamsher Singh Surjewala, belong to either the Birender Singh or Hooda faction and they are said to have carved an independent niche of their own. It is being said that Randeep has been rewarded for the aggressive role played by him in recent months in exposing the alleged involvement of the Chautala clan in "land deals.'' Although their was no official reaction, the supporters of the other leaders are disappointed over this development as they wished that their respective leader should head the party especially when Assembly elections are just round the corner. Of late Mr.Surjewala has been seen to be closer to Mr.Bhajan Lal and this move may not generate much disappointment in the Bhajan Lal camp as he still notionally continues to head the party. Moreover, sources said, Mr.Bhajan Lal, who recently underwent heart surgery, may have been told that Mr.Surjewala was being made Working President to assist him because of his "old age and health factor.'' However, Haryana watchers feel that this might be the first step towards migrating Mr.Bhajan Lal from State politics to Central politics.

Our Special Correspondent reports from New Delhi:

Mr. Surjewala, who served as the Chief of the Indian Youth Congress, had quit the post in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections after he failed to secure a ticket. He was subsequently appointed as an AICC Secretary.

The appointment of another Jat to a senior post of the community introduces an element in the factional tug. Former State Congress chiefs, Birender Singh and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, are the other two prominent Jat leaders. Interestingly, both Mr. Birender Singh and Mr. Surjewala hail from Jind district. Besides appointing Mr. Surjewala as the working president, the party also inducted five new members including three who served as Ministers in the Haryana Vikas Congress Government of Bansi Lal. They include, Dharam Vir Yadav, Kanwal Singh and Attar Singh Saini. The other two were Lt. Gen. Raj Kadiyan (retired) and Captain. Jaipal Singh Sangwan (retired).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News Update

Stories in this Section

Surjewala working president of Haryana Congress