New Delhi: More than the BJP forming the government, it was the resurgence of the Congress that made news in this round of Assembly polls. A closer look shows that the carefully crafted social alliance of Jats and Dalits effected by making Jat strongman Bhupinder Singh Hooda the party’s face and Dalit leader Kumari Selja the PCC chief paid dividends in Haryana.
Along with this, the campaign strategy of focussing on economic distress and local issues as well as avoiding falling into the nationalism trap by not discussing Article 370 also paid off. A decision was also taken at the highest level to give charge of the campaigning to Hooda.
Capturing the local mood, Hooda announced that one person from every family would be given a job. He promised reservations for locals as has been done in other states.
Selja did her bit by keeping the focus on local issues.
Sources told this newspaper that Sonia Gandhi called Hooda on Thursday morning and asked him to take the lead in government formation if needed. The Jat leader is expected to be in Delhi and was said to be in touch with Jannayak Janta Party’s Dushyant Chautala which could emerge as the kingmaker.
The sources said that Chautala’s party had been trying to bargain for the Chief Minister’s post for its leader.
A senior Congress leader said Hooda is clear that the Congress should not go this far to keep the BJP out of power but would be open to something more reasonable.
