KULDEEP Bishnoi, son of a veteran and influential Haryana politician Bhajan Lal, tried hard to become a force in the State. He launched the Haryana Janhit Congress at the time when the Congress chose Bhupinder Singh Hooda as a Chief Minister instead of Bhajan Lal 12 years ago. Kuldeep has a massive following among non-Jats in Haryana. Hooda managed the State Congress so ruthlessly that even another Jat leader, Birendra Singh, left and joined the BJP. Hooda is so shrewd that he managed and operated through Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of the Gandhi family, for nine years of his regime. Most of the Congress leaders were helpless in the regime of Hooda. His son, Deependra Singh Hooda, is reportedly trying to become part of the Rahul Gandhi coterie but Randeep Sujewala has outwitted him in the game. Bishnoi’s entry into the Congress was a low-key affair. It is said, Bishnoi was given an order by the high command that he meet Shailaja Kumari, catch up with Ashok Tanwar and Ajay Yadav, but Hooda should not know about his entry into the Congress. Hooda though got the hint and asked for an appointment with Sonia Gandhi. 10 Janpath kept on ignoring him. Then a strong message from his side was sent to 10, Janpath, saying if the Modi government sends him to jail, he will not allow the Gandhi family to make him a scapegoat, and that he will open his mouth. He got an appointment with Sonia within two days of sending the message. Hooda is angry that without taking him into confidence, Sonia got Kuldeep into the Congress. The move was planned by none other than Ahmed Patel. There was a time when Hooda used to ignore the phones of Ahmed bhai as he had a direct line to Vadra. But times change fast in politics!