From 32 nominees, 28 are sitting MLAs
Hooda, Udai Bhan, former Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat in first list
Sitting MLA Mewa Singh to take on CM Saini in Ladwa
The Congress party, eyeing a comeback in Haryana after 10 years, appears to be treading its path carefully while choosing its candidates for the October 5 assembly elections in the state.
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In the first list of 32 candidates released by the party in two parts (31+1) late on Friday evening, the party has fielded all 28 sitting MLAs so as not to rock the boat at a time when the sailing appears to be smooth for it.
As expected, former chief minister for two consecutive terms (2005-2014) Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also the incumbent Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, has picked up a lion’s share with former Union minister and sitting MP from Sirsa-SC, Kumari Sejla also getting a few candidates from her camp included in the first list.
Even after following a cautious and laboured process of selecting candidates, involving three meeting of the central election committee (CEC) of the party, preceded by four rounds of meetings of the screening committee for the assembly elections in the state, the party leadership has had the confidence to name its nominees to just one-third of the seats in the 90-member House in the first go.
According to reports, to iron out the irritants, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi stepped in during the last CEC meeting before the first list was released.
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Among others who attended the meeting were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Hooda again from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi
As per the list, Hooda, who is also the incumbent leader of the opposition in the House, will again be repeated from his traditional Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency in Rohtak district.
State party president Udai Bhan, a close associate of Hooda, despite losing the last elections held in 2019, gets another chance to redeem himself from Hodal constituency in Palwal district.
The party has decided to field Vinesh Phogat, who along with her co-Olympian wrestler Bajrang Punia, had joined the Congress hours before the release of the first list, from Julana constituency in Jind district. Her husband Somvir Rathee’s family hails from here.
Mewa Singh to take on CM Saini
The Congress has reposed faith in its sitting MLA Mewa Singh to take on Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Lawda constituency in Kurukshetra district.
The party is keeping its cards close to its chest regarding the possibility of its two other prominent leaders from the state – former Union Minister and Current MP from Sirsa-SC Kumari Selja and Rajya Sabha member and former Haryana minister Randeep Singh Surjewala – being fielded in the very crucial assembly elections for the party.
Both have been projecting themselves as chief ministerial candidates in the past, but Hooda, who commands a mass base across the state, has so far been able to keep them at bay.
Recent joiners too get tickets
Party tickets in two constituencies reserved for scheduled castes have been given to sitting MLAs who had joined the party at different times this year.
Independent MLA Dharampal Gonder, who joined the party in May, has got the party nod to recontest from Nilokheri constituency in Karnal district. Rebel Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA Ramkaran Kala, who joined the Congress just weeks ago in August, also gets to recontest from Shahbad constituency in Kurukshetra district.
Support for MLAs under ED scanner
In an apparent reiteration of the party’s support for loyalists through thick and thin, it has repeated its three MLAs who are under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of money laundering. The MLAs are Surender Panwar (Sonipat), Dharam Singh Chhoker (Samalkha in Panipat district) and Rao Dan Singh (Mahendragarh).
As MLA, Rao Dan Singh had also unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, losing to incumbent BJP MP Dharambir Singh by over 41,500 votes.
Haryana goes to the polls on October 5 and counting of votes is slated for October 8.
The Congress list (incomplete)
