NEW DELHI: With the Haryana Assembly polls having concluded almost a year ago, the wait for the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leadership in the state has been further delayed by at least a month or two, as consensus on names remained elusive among several camps, sources said.
Following the loss in the Haryana polls, the Congress began the process to select the new CLP leader as well as the new state unit chief.
Top sources said that after detailed discussions over months, the party started considering leaders for these two posts following the appointment of BK Hariprasad as the new in-charge. With Hariprasad overseeing a major reshuffle in the state unit, the party collected reports from District Congress Committees (DCCs) regarding performance, while party appointed observers reviewed caste balance under the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan in August.
The sources noted that the appointments for the two major posts have been delayed again, as the party leadership is weighing how to balance the caste equation in a state where it previously relied on a Jat-Dalit formula.
Three names were proposed for the post of the new state unit chief: Cheeranjivi Rao, Rao Dan Singh, and Rao Narendra Singh. For the post of the CLP leader, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been recommended, the sources added.
The party’s approach appears to be shifting from the earlier Jat-Dalit combination toward a Jat-OBC balance.
Before finalising any announcement, the leadership aims to keep all factions in the state aligned. Sources said internal rifts during last year’s Assembly polls had cost the party a chance to return to power. Thus, the leadership wants to ensure that no such mistakes are repeated before declaring names for the two posts.
The party is also focusing on consolidating OBC votes, where the BJP had projected Nayab Singh Saini as its campaign face during last year’s Assembly polls.
Though the Congress in-charge made recommendations last month, differences among Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Singh Surjewala prevented consensus during discussions with the party leadership, delaying the announcement.
The Congress is now working to reorganise the state leadership, unite divided factions, and ensure coordinated functioning ahead of future electoral challenges.
