Why is Hooda opposed to Congress attending INLD's Kaithal rally?

New Delhi: Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is opposed to the Congress attending a joint opposition rally called by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) at Kaithal on September 25 to mark the 110th birth of ex-deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal.

Being a prominent Jat face of Haryana, Hooda is opposed to sharing the dais with INLD leaders, arguing that the Congress is poised to win the coming assembly elections, due in October-November next year, and aligning with its once traditional arch-rival and another Jat-dominated political outfit would prove counterproductive for the grand old party.

In the past too, Hooda had opposed supporting INLD-backed candidate RK Anand in the September 2016 Rajya Sabha elections against businessman Subhash Chandra of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His defiance of the Congress high command's diktat to vote for Anand resulted in Chandra's victory.

Hooda has further argued that the INLD was desperately trying to ally with the Congress because it has been relegated to margins since 2004 after being ousted from power in Haryana and its estranged offspring, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), is now a ruling partner of the BJP in the state.

INLD general secretary Abhay Chautala has invited several constituents of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc. However, INLD is not a part of the INDIA grouping yet.

Abhay Chautala was keen to invite his family's bitter rival to the rally and mend fences with the Congress, insisting that the late Devi Lal had started his political career with the grand old party. He maintained that the need of the hour is to oust the BJP from power both at the Centre and in the state.

Among those who have confirmed their participation are Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Bihar's deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress.

All eyes are now on Kaithal as it remains to be seen if the Congress will attend the rally despite Hooda's concerns.