New Delhi, TFI Bureau
Strategists tasked with guiding Congress to victory in Haryana are focusing more on enhancing the image of the Hooda family rather than on the party itself. Their emphasis seems to be on personal relationships rather than on party loyalty. As a result, they are working on polishing the image of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and MP Deepender Hooda, and assisting their supported candidates in surveys to improve their PR.
Congress has entrusted the responsibility of selecting candidates and formulating electoral strategies for the Haryana Assembly elections to election strategist Sunil Kanugolu and his team, who had previously led Congress to victories in Karnataka and Telangana. However, due to his close friendship with Deepender Hooda, Kanugolu is unable to perform impartially.
Sources say that within Congress, factions opposed to Bhupinder Hooda are concerned that, similar to the Lok Sabha elections, Hooda may secure tickets for most of his preferred candidates in the Assembly elections as well. In the Lok Sabha elections, all but one of the nine constituencies saw Congress tickets being awarded to Hooda’s preferred candidates. With Kanugolu appearing to prioritize Hooda’s interests over Congress’s, opposition within the party is growing anxious.
Allegations of Bias in Surveys
According to Congress sources, several significant revelations from Kanugolu’s surveys are surfacing quietly, suggesting connections to Hooda’s close associates. A senior Congress leader claims that Kanugolu is presenting reports showing increased favorability for Hooda’s associates to party leadership. The leader noted that Bhupinder Hooda had also managed to secure tickets for most of his close associates in the Lok Sabha elections, and a similar strategy appears to be at play for the Assembly elections.
The leader, requesting anonymity, added that Bhupinder and Deepender Hooda are working with Kanugolu to present reports to Congress high command according to their preferences, aiming to secure more tickets for their supporters. This maneuver is seen as a strategy for future lobbying, particularly to smooth the path for Chief Ministerial lobbying.
Congress Begins Candidate Selection Process
Congress has also started the process of selecting candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections, in line with the BJP. The party extended the application deadline from July 31 to August 10, allowing more leaders to submit their candidacies. However, internal factionalism within Congress is leading to disputes over candidates. While Congress has called for applications from ticket aspirants, Congress General Secretary and MP Kumari Selja has separately sought applications from her own candidates. This division suggests that internal conflicts over ticket distribution may escalate before the election officially begins.
Deepender Hooda and Kanugolu Connection
Election strategist Sunil Kanugolu, who worked with Siddaramaiah in Karnataka and Revant Reddy in Telangana, has been tasked with strategizing for Congress in Haryana. Impressed by his successful strategies, Congress high command appointed him to lead Haryana’s strategy. However, his close ties with Telangana Chief Minister Revant Reddy seem to influence his approach to Haryana, as his personal friendship with Reddy has grown. It is well-known that whenever Revant Reddy visits Delhi, he is seen with Kanugolu at a five-star hotel in Lutyens Delhi. Additionally, the friendship between Revant Reddy and Congress MP Deepender Hooda is well-documented. Sources say that Reddy facilitated a meeting between Hooda and Kanugolu, further increasing Kanugolu’s bias towards the Hooda family.
Critics within Congress accuse Kanugolu of prioritizing Hooda’s image over the party’s image and favoring Hooda’s supporters in surveys. Despite his previous work with Congress for Karnataka and Telangana elections, as well as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and recent Lok Sabha elections, voices of dissent are rising within Congress regarding his approach in Haryana.
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