In a bold move that could reshape Haryana Congress, Rahul Gandhi is set to openly back former IAS officer and MP Brijender Singh — son of veteran leader Chaudhary Birender Singh — as he concludes his six-month solo padayatra covering 85 assembly constituencies out of 90 . Despite stiff resistance from the state’s entrenched senior leadership, Rahul is arriving in Gurugram to lend his personal support, triggering fresh questions: Is the era of the Hoodas over? Is Congress preparing a new Jat face to lead Haryana? A high-stakes power shift is brewing.
In what is being billed as a major turning point in Haryana Congress politics, it is now Rahul Gandhi versus the entire senior leadership of the party. Former IAS officer and former MP Brijender Singh, son of senior leader Chaudhary Birender Singh, has been on a solo padayatra for the last six months, covering 90 assembly constituencies across the state. The Congress party refused to extend any official support, claiming it was not a sanctioned party yatra. However, Brijender Singh had remained in regular touch with Rahul Gandhi and, for all practical purposes, enjoyed his quiet backing and blessings.
Tomorrow, as the padayatra concludes in Gurugram, Rahul Gandhi will personally attend the closing event. He will lead an 800-metre roadshow followed by a public meeting where he is expected to deliver a key speech. While the speech may not explicitly declare Brijender Singh as the new successor who will hold the reins of the Haryana Congress, all indications suggest that Rahul has zeroed in on him as the fresh face to lead the party in the state. Is it time for the Hoodas (Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda) to step aside and take a backseat?
Is the Congress grooming a new Jat leadership? Having undertaken his own marathon Bharat Jodo Yatra across the country, Rahul Gandhi shares a deep empathy for a fellow traveller who braved hail, rain, and storms yet successfully completed the journey. True to form, Rahul has chosen to stand firmly by Brijender Singh despite the majority of the state unit remaining in denial and insisting that the padayatra was a personal effort. Even the official Congress invitation for the Gurugram event avoided mentioning the real purpose of Rahul’s visit — a clear sign that party brass is wary of the brewing confrontation. This development sets the stage for fireworks within the deeply entrenched vested interests of the Haryana Congress.
Renu Mittal
Renu Mittal is a veteran Journalist of India. She has been reporting on the Congress Party affairs since 1983.
