“Winnability” emerging as the key criterion for selecting candidates as the Congress party begins preparation for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.
This decision was the primary outcome of the Congress’ screening committee meeting held in Delhi on Monday, attended by top party leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and KC Venugopal.
During the meeting, leaders from Haryana and other poll-bound states, including Jammu and Kashmir, engaged in extensive discussions to strategize for the elections. Party sources revealed that a four-member screening committee, under the leadership of Haryana state Congress Incharge Deepak Babariya, is expected to meet again in the next three to four days to narrow down the list of potential candidates.
The Congress is currently conducting three separate surveys to finalize its candidates, with the first survey already completed. “The next two surveys, including one spearheaded by a team close to Rahul Gandhi, are in progress,” disclosed a senior party leader who requested anonymity. The party plans to submit at least three potential names from each constituency to the screening committee, ensuring a thorough selection process.
In a significant development, the committee has reportedly decided to avoid fielding candidates who lost in the 2014 and 2019 assembly elections. Instead, the party is leaning towards selecting prominent figures from Haryana who actively participated in the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation and protests against paper leaks and unemployment.
After the meeting, Deepak Babariya told the media, expressing confidence in the growing popularity of the Congress in Haryana. He attributed this surge to the overwhelming response received by Deepender Hooda’s “Haryana Mange Hisab Yatra” across the state.
Babariya also emphasized that the final selection of candidates would be based on a comprehensive evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. If necessary, a ground-level survey will be conducted to assess the potential of specific candidates.
The Congress has received an impressive 2,556 applications from aspirants vying for tickets across Haryana’s 90 assembly seats. The scrutiny of these applications is currently underway, with male applicants submitting 2,140 applications compared to 416 from women. The constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) have witnessed particularly high engagement, with Nilokheri leading with 88 applications, followed by Julana with 86 and Bhawani Khera (SC) with 78. Other notable constituencies, such as Badhra, Ukalana (SC), and Shahbad (SC), have each seen over 50 applications. However, the party’s internal discord in Haryana remains a significant challenge.
The ongoing rift between the factions led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior leader Kumari Selja was further exposed during a previous high-stakes meeting in Delhi.
Kharge expressed dissatisfaction with the continued infighting, which threatens to undermine the Congress’ efforts in Haryana as the election date of approaches. The party’s ability to maintain unity and field strong candidates will be crucial in its bid to challenge the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for October 1.
