Hooda Camp Dominates Congress' Star Campaigner List in Haryana, Kiran Chaudhary Sidelined

The Haryana Congress' list of star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has brought to the fore the party's internal divisions and power dynamics. The recently released list is dominated by leaders closely associated with former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while prominent figures like veteran legislator Kiran Chaudhary and her daughter Shruti Chaudhary have been left out. 

The omission of Kiran Chaudhary, a five-time MLA, and Shruti, a former Member of Parliament, from the star campaigner list has raised eyebrows. This move follows the party's earlier decision to deny Shruti a ticket from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency, a seat she had previously won. Instead, the Congress fielded Rao Inderjit Singh, a close aide of Hooda, from the same constituency. 

Kiran Chaudhary had openly expressed her displeasure over her daughter's ticket being cut, even holding a meeting with supporters where she was reportedly emotional. The exclusion of the mother-daughter duo from the star campaigner list is being viewed as a further setback for their political aspirations within the party. 

In contrast, the list reflects the Hooda camp's stronghold within the Haryana Congress. It includes Hooda himself, along with state party chief Udai Bhan, and several other leaders closely aligned with the former Chief Minister, such as Deepender Hooda, Aftab Ahmed, Ashok Arora, Kuldeep Sharma, Jitendra Bhardwaj, Geeta Bhukkal, Bibi Batra, Neeraj Sharma, Abhimanyu Poonia, Nirmal Singh, Chandraprakash Jangra, Shakuntala Khatak, and Ram Niwas Ghorela. 

While the Hooda camp's dominance is evident, the party has attempted to maintain a balance by including leaders like Kumari Selja, who has had differences with Hooda in the past, along with her supporters Jayveer Valmiki and Ramkishan Gujjar. Additionally, Randeep Surjewala, Captain Ajay Yadav, who was upset after being denied a ticket from Gurugram, and former Union Minister Birender Singh, a recent entrant to the Congress from the BJP, have also been named as star campaigners. 

The composition of the star campaigner list has fueled discussions about the Congress party's internal rifts in Haryana. The exclusion of the Chaudharys is seen as a reflection of the Hooda camp's influence, while the inclusion of leaders like Selja and Surjewala is being interpreted as an effort to strike a balance within the party's state unit.

As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, the Haryana Congress will need to navigate these internal divisions and present a united front to challenge the ruling BJP-JJP alliance in the state. The star campaigner list has undoubtedly added another layer of complexity to the party's electoral strategy, with the Chaudharys' supporters likely to feel aggrieved by their exclusion.