Headache for Congress in Haryana: Division of anti-incumbency votes, factionalism

New Delhi: Though it is being projected as if the Congress is forming the government in Haryana, after the forthcoming Assembly polls, the road to power isn't likely to be so easy for the grand old party.

The most worrying factor being faced by the leadership of the grand old party is the division of anti-incumbency votes. A section in the Congress thinks that a lack of alliance among the opposition parties is expected to help the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.

Though the saffron party has been ruling the state for the past ten years, this time around there are several important parties and alliances that are vying for the anti-incumbency votes.

And there is a fear amongst the Congress that these parties could eat into anti-incumbency votes and prevent the consolidation of these votes in favour of the grand old party.

Sources stated that the chief irritant is the Aam Aadmi Party which can majorly eat into the Jat and farmer vote base of the Congress. 

AAP had majorly consolidated its base amongst these communities during the anti-farm laws protest. 

And with the AAP already ruling in neighbouring Punjab and Delhi, the party is also expected to relentlessly pursue its growth in Haryana. 

Many in the Congress believe that the party should have entered into a strategic alliance with the AAP for the forthcoming Assembly polls, as the two contested the Lok Sabha polls as allies recently. 

Sources in the Congress pointed out that the Congress was able to reap the major benefits of the alliance as it won five Lok Sabha seats from the state. 

However, it is learnt that the powerful Hooda family has opposed an alliance with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP for the state polls.

The alliance of Bahujan Samaj Party and Indian National Lok Dal is also likely to eat into the Jat and Dalit votes of the Congress on several seats. With the Jannayak Janta Party also playing a possible spoilsport on at least a dozen odd seats.

Factionalism to play spoilsport for Congress?

Factionalism within the party will be an impediment for the Congress to reclaim the state where it was an undisputed leader just a decade ago.

The grand old party has been unable to utilise the 10-year-long anti-incumbency being faced by the BJP government to its advantage, all due to petty internal squabbles.  

The state unit and leadership have been torn between three powerful factions led by Randeep Singh Surjewala, Kumari Selja and the most powerful section headed by Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda.

The opposing factions have accused Hooda and his son of taking complete control of the Haryana Congress by giving important posts to their loyalists, without considering merit and credibility.

It is no secret that the three factions in the grand old party’s state unit don’t see eye to eye on most issues and party leaders are now blaming the central leadership for the plight of Congress in Haryana. All these factions are seemingly operating independently and lack coordination amongst each other, while trying to secure maximum possible seats for their respective supporters.

It seems that the central leadership of the grand old party doesn’t want to enforce hierarchy in the party, fearing a backlash from other groups.  

Sources stated that if the Congress wants to provide an effective alternative to the current BJP government, it has to decide on its leader soon and strongly discipline any indisciplined factions.

Currently, the 90-member Haryana Legislative Assembly has BJP 40, Jannayak Janta Party 10 and Congress 31 members. The other seats are held by Indian National Lok Dal and Independents.

The BJP had secured 49 seats in the 2014 Haryana Assembly polls, forming its first-ever government in the state under Manohar Lal Khattar.