Factionalism Persists in Haryana Congress as SRK Faction Stays Away from Party Meeting

The internal strife within the Haryana Congress continues unabated, as the SRK faction, comprised of Sailja, Randeep Surjewala, and Kiran Choudhary, opted to distance itself from the party’s General House meeting held at Congress Bhawan on Wednesday. Prominent leaders Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala, and MLA Kiran Chaudhary, along with 10 MLAs including three working state presidents from their group—Shruti Choudhary, Suresh Gupta, and Ramkishan Gurjar—chose not to attend the meeting. In contrast, Jitendra Bhardwaj, Executive State President of the Hooda faction, participated in the meeting.

The high command’s directives prompted the formulation of a strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during the meeting chaired by Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria. Leader of Opposition Bhupendra Singh Hooda, State President Uday Bhan, and MP Deependra Hooda, along with supporting MLAs and leaders from Hooda’s faction, were present. Despite invitations extended to all MLAs, former MLAs, former MPs, and former district heads, anti-Huda leaders refrained from attending the meeting.

The SRK faction had previously chosen to stay away from Congress meetings, but Shaili Chaudhary, a supporter of Selja, attended the meeting.

Notable absentees from the meeting included Kalka MLA Pradeep Chaudhary, Assandh MLA Shameshar Singh Gogi, Sadhaura MLA Renu Bala, and former Finance Minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav. MLAs aligned with the Hooda faction, including Chiranjeev Rao, Dharam Singh Chhokkar, Shishpal Keharwala, Induraj Narwal, Amit Sihag, Kuldeep Vats, and Neeraj Sharma, also chose not to participate.

Meanwhile, Kumari Selja and her supporters are actively preparing for the Jansandesh Yatra scheduled to commence on January 17, covering 10 Lok Sabha constituencies. The SRK Group has outlined a roadmap for this endeavour. Addressing concerns about permission for the Jansandesh Yatra, Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria emphasized the unity of the party, stating that any leader can organize programs to strengthen the party. However, it is worth noting that earlier, Babaria had mentioned that the visit was not officially approved by the party.

A meeting of Haryana Congress leaders has been called by the Congress high command on January 14, focusing on discussions regarding the organization’s list. Despite the list being submitted by the Haryana in charge eight months ago, internal factionalism has delayed its release. The Hooda faction is making concerted efforts to unveil the list before the Lok Sabha elections.