Hooda’s dilemma

The Haryana bureaucracy has been thrown into a tizzy since the day AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, now Delhi Chief Minister, offered Ashok Khemka the opportunity to lead the Aam Aadmi Party in Haryana. The IAS officer-turned whistleblower is facing the wrath of the State government. In his wildest dreams, Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda could not have imagined that Khemka could ever end up creating ripples in Haryana politics. The CM and his coterie are hell-bent on trapping Khemka in one or other case of embezzlement so as to tarnish his image. Cases are being docked against him so that, before any political move, he is jailed and debarred from contesting elections. Khemka, on his part, has not shown any inclination till now to join Kejriwal. But the Haryana bureaucracy is in a hurry as there is little time left. Hooda wants the State elections to he held along with the parliamentary polls. Sources say the vote-on-account in Parliament will be around February 17 and immediately after, elections will be announced. Imagine, if Khemka accepts Kejriwal’s proposal and stands for election as the main contender in the state! Hooda does not like confrontation and is learnt to be in favour of adopting a conciliatory approach but his coterie is not allowing him to patch up. Who is the boss?