The central command of the Congress party announced key appointments for its Haryana unit on Monday, effectively ending a year-long internal stalemate. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been formally designated as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Haryana. Alongside this, the party appointed Rao Narender Singh, a prominent Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, as the new state unit president.
The appointments, made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, signal a significant yielding to pressure from the state’s legislative wing. The CLP leadership post had remained vacant since the assembly elections held late last year, during which the Congress party failed in its attempt to dislodge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Rao Narender Singh Takes Helm of State Unit
Rao Narender Singh, a former state health minister and a political figure from Narnaul, takes over as the President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC). He replaces Udai Bhan, who had been at the post since April 2022.
According to party sources cited by PTI, the decision to elevate Singh was driven by the former Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi, who was reportedly keen on projecting a strong OBC face within the state’s leadership. PTI sources indicated that his selection was made from a shortlist of three candidates, all belonging to the OBC community.
Announcing the change, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary for Organisation, K. C. Venugopal, stated: “Congress president has appointed Shri Rao Narender Singh as the President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect.” He also expressed the party’s gratitude, adding, “The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing PCC President Shri Udai Bhan.”
Hooda Reclaims Undisputed Leadership
The decision to install Hooda as the CLP leader comes nearly a year after the position fell vacant. Sources suggest the delay was primarily a matter of internal politics, as the central leadership had resisted immediately naming him despite the strong desire of the state’s legislators.
The majority of Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Haryana were known to owe their allegiance to Hooda and had been pressing for his appointment as the CLP leader following the previous year’s elections. By making this formal announcement, the party appears to have finally “succumbed to the internal pressures of state MLAs,” as noted by party observers, PTI reported. With this move, Hooda, who previously served as Haryana’s chief minister from 2004 to 2014, has cemented his status once again as the party’s undisputed figurehead in the state.
Venugopal confirmed this key appointment, saying, “The Congress president has also approved the proposal for the appointment of Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Haryana, with immediate effect.” Since Hooda’s tenure ended in 2014, the BJP has remained in power in Haryana.
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