The Hindu : Front Page : Hooda elected Congress leader in Haryana

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Saturday, Mar 05, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Hooda elected Congress leader in Haryana

By K.V. Prasad

THE WINNER: Bhupinder Singh Hooda who was elected Haryana Congress Legislature Party Leader after a meeting at the Parliament Annexe in New Delhi on Friday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 4. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MP from Rohtak, was today elected leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party. This paves the way for his becoming the Chief Minister. The meeting, which was held here, was boycotted by 20 of the 67 newly elected party legislators owing allegiance to the senior party leader, Bhajan Lal.

Mr. Bhajan Lal, who had made a strong bid to occupy the top post, kept away from the meeting along with 19 other MLAs. His son and Bhiwani MP, Kuldeep Bishnoi, too was not present. However, a majority of MPs from Haryana attended the meeting. Mr. Bhajan Lal also sent in his resignation as the State Congress chief.

Unanimously elected

At the end of the hour-long meeting, the AICC general secretary, Janardhan Dwivedi, announced that Mr. Hooda had been elected CLP leader "unanimously" by the 47 legislators who attended it. The AICC observers, P.M. Sayeed and Ashok Gehlot, were present.

Mr. Hooda's name was proposed by senior MLA Kartar Devi and seconded by others, including the Uchana MLA, Birender Singh, and the Rewari MLA, Ajay Yadav, both of whom were also aspirants for the post.

Mr. Hooda's election comes three days after the CLP at its first meeting in Chandigarh passed a one-line resolution authorising the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to appoint the CLP leader.

At a press conference, Mr. Dwivedi brushed aside differences in the State party and said that Mr. Bhajan Lal had, perhaps, come under pressure created by "hopes and aspirations." Mr. Hooda promised to carry along all sections. His priority would be to give an administration free of corruption and terror, an accusation the Congress had hurled at the erstwhile Chautala Government.

High drama

High drama marked the start of the meeting at the Parliament Annexe. It began at 4 p.m., 45 minutes behind schedule, as anxious supporters tried to gatecrash into the venue.

With the Rapid Action Force deployed to control the crowd outside the building, security personnel prevented even the media contingent from reaching there.

Sources close to Mr. Bhajan Lal claimed that the party high command had offered the post of Governor to him, a Minister of State at the Centre for his son and the Deputy Chief Minister post for his other son, Chander Mohan, an MLA. Barring the offer of Deputy Chief Minister to Mr. Mohan, the other two offers could not be confirmed.

When it became clear by afternoon that he had lost out in the race, Mr. Bhajan Lal made a last-minute effort and pleaded his case when he met Ms. Gandhi.

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