Chandigarh: The Congress Party has suffered a third consecutive defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections, leaving the political future of three of its most prominent leaders—Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Singh Surjewala—uncertain. As the party grapples with the outcome, questions have arisen about whether these leaders will be able to maintain their influence within the Congress, or if their careers are approaching a critical juncture.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the veteran leader and former Chief Minister, turns 77 today. Just before the elections, he declared that this would be his last major political battle against the BJP. While Hooda was re-elected as an MLA from the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi seat, his age and the party’s performance suggest that he may take a step back from active politics in the coming years. By the next election, Hooda will be 82, making it unlikely that he will lead another campaign.
Many observers expect Hooda to pass the political mantle to his son, Deependra Hooda, who campaigned vigorously in this election, holding several rallies across Haryana. Deependra was also considered a strong candidate for the Chief Minister’s post if Congress had won. However, Hooda’s influence within the Congress may now be weakened, as the party only won 32 of the 72 seats allocated to Hooda’s supporters, and his strongholds in Sonipat and Panipat were lost to the BJP.
Congress’s state president, Chaudhary Udaybhan, who was appointed through Hooda’s lobbying, also suffered a significant setback, losing his election from the Hodal seat, further diminishing Hooda’s influence in the state.
Kumari Selja, a five-time Member of Parliament and one of the strongest Dalit leaders in Haryana, is also facing a precarious political future. Selja was open in her opposition to Hooda’s faction, and her assertiveness secured nine candidacies for her supporters. However, only a few of them were successful, and Selja’s base in Sirsa, Ambala, and Yamunanagar did not deliver the results she had hoped for. Several of her key allies, including Pradeep Chaudhary in Kalka and Shamsher Singh Gogi in Assandh, lost their seats.
A section of the Congress has blamed Selja’s internal conflicts for the party’s defeat. Her public questioning of the party’s strategies has raised doubts about her standing within the Congress high command, especially after the poor electoral performance in her areas of influence. Selja, currently the party’s general secretary and in charge of Uttarakhand, may face difficult decisions in the coming months as the Congress leadership reviews her role.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, another major figure in Haryana Congress, has also seen his political ambitions curtailed. Before the elections, Surjewala had expressed interest in becoming the Chief Minister, but the party chose his son, Aditya Surjewala, to contest from the Kaithal seat instead. Aditya managed to secure a victory, which may allow the younger Surjewala to take a more active role in state politics while his father focuses on national responsibilities. Randeep Surjewala, a close ally of Rahul Gandhi, is expected to remain in his current role as the Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka.
Alongside these three leaders, Congress state president Chaudhary Udaybhan and Captain Ajay Yadav are also under scrutiny after the election results. Udaybhan’s defeat in Hodal has put his position at risk, with his future likely dependent on Hooda’s influence within the party. Meanwhile, Captain Ajay Yadav, head of the Congress OBC cell, saw his son Chiranjeev Rao lose the Rewari seat. The next steps for both Ajay and Chiranjeev will be closely watched in the coming months.
As Congress assesses the aftermath of its defeat, the party is faced with the challenge of rebuilding its leadership and base in Haryana. The results have raised serious questions about the future of some of the party’s most senior leaders and whether new faces will emerge to lead the party forward in this key state.
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