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Hectic political activity in Congress camps

CHANDIGARH: Congress leaders in Haryana, including some Ministers and MLAs, are out vying with each other to express solidarity with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda while openly attacking former Chief Minister and senior party leader Bhajan Lal and his younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi.

Interestingly, Mr. Bhajan Lal is still a Congress legislator while his elder son Chander Mohan is Deputy Chief Minister even though Mr. Bishnoi, Member of Parliament from Bhiwani, was suspended by the Congress high command some months ago.

Intense political activity is on in the Congress camp after Mr. Bishnoi declared that he and his father would address a big rally in Rohtak -- the home constituency of Mr. Hooda -- on December 2 where they would announce their future course of action. It is being said in political circles that the Bhajan Lal camp might announce formation of a new party or front at the rally.

Insiders reveal that most of the Congress leaders are openly issuing statements against Mr. Bhajan Lal who until recently headed the Haryana unit of the Congress as they want to impress Mr. Hooda with their loyalty and even stake their claim to the chairmanships of various State Boards and Corporations.

While close associates of Mr. Kuldeep Bishnoi claim that the young Turk is gaining support from those in the Congress who feel “ignored” under the present dispensation , the Hooda camp too has chalked out several strategies to counter the “influence” of Mr. Bhajan Lal on his home fief of Adampur and Hisar. Reports reaching here from the districts reveal that many youngsters and ticket-seekers are also jumping over the Bishnoi bandwagon.

A close aide of Mr. Hooda told this correspondent that the Haryana unit of the Congress had brought the entire situation to the notice of the high command and only the All-India Congress Committee was competent to take action against Mr. Bhajan Lal and Mr. Bishnoi.

Another leader who recently issued a hard-hitting statement hoped that the high command would initiate action before the December 2 rally.

Interestingly, Indian National Lok Dal leaders are watching these “internal” developments in the Congress with great interest, happy in the realisation that the war of attrition has turned off the political attack from the INLD to the Bhajan Lal camp.

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