Plagued by factionalism and bickering, the Haryana unit of the Congress is struggling to put its act together. The party has a lot at stake in 2019 Lok Sabha elections to better its tally of one seat in 2014 Lok Sabha elections in view of the impending assembly polls in the state. The bad blood between state chief Ashok Tanwar and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda is not doing any good to the party.

A look at the key leaders of Haryana Congress:

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, 71, former chief minister

The two-time chief minister is inarguably the party’s most prominent face. Hooda, who holds tremendous sway in the Deswali belt of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat, enjoys unflinching support of 13 out of 17 Congress MLAs in the assembly. Evidently he aspires to ascend the CM’s chair a third time if the party gets voted to power. Though a series of corruption cases registered against him during the BJP rule has dented his image, Hooda is crucial to the Congress plans for consolidation of Jats in the state.

Kiran Choudhary, 63, Congress Legislature Party leader in state assembly

Daughter-in-law of former chief minister, Bansi Lal, the voluble leader is party’s most prominent face in Bhiwani area. A woman Jat leader having good access to the party high command, Choudhary is a fiercely ambitious individual. Having lost her husband, Surender Singh in a chopper crash, Choudhary who started her politics from Delhi, switched to Haryana in 2005. She remained a minister in the Congress government till 2014 and was known for her frequent run-ins with the then chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Her daughter, Shruti is a former MP from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh seat.

Ashok Tanwar, 43, Haryana Congress president

State unit chief for the past five years, Ashok Tanwar, a Dalit leader, owes his ascendancy to his proximity to the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi. Despite his sour relationship with former CM BS Hooda who has been trying hard to dislodge him from the post of the state chief, the Dalit leader has managed to stay put. His continuance is expected to strengthen party’s ties with the dalit voters in the state. Tanwar won Sirsa Lok Sabha seat in 2009 but lost it in 2014. Married to a Brahmin, Avantika Maken, the daughter of assassinated Congress leader, Lalit Maken and grand-daughter of former President, Shankar Dayal Sharma, he is regarded as a promising young face.

Randeep Surjewala, 51, AICC Communications In-charge

A former Haryana minister, Randeep has made rapid strides in climbing the party’s central high command set up in the last five years. Being the person in-charge of party’s communications department at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi has helped him gain proximity to the Congress top hierarchy including the party president, Rahul Gandhi. He was handpicked by Gandhi to contest the Jind by election despite being a sitting legislator from the neighbouring Kaithal. Though he lost badly but by accepting the poll challenge he displayed his deference for Gandhi’s decision. The articulate and suave Jat leader is regarded as a potential challenger to the chair of Haryana chief minister and a threat to the aspirations of former chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda who is keen to have a third shot at the power.

Kumari Selja, 56,  Former Union minister

A prominent woman Dalit face of the state Congress, Kumari Selja enjoys close proximity to UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi. A known detractor of former chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the former central minister is known to influence the contours of party’s strategy in Haryana. Her shift to a ‘safer’ Ambala Lok Sabha seat in 2004 despite winning from Sirsa twice and pulling out by securing a Rajya Sabha nomination just before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 indicate her proximity with the party’s top bosses.

Lok Sabha election 2019: All you need to know about Haryana

First Published: Apr 11, 2019 16:28 IST