Congress ‘s Path to Assembly Polls- Counter BJP's OBC Outreach

The Congress party in Haryana is riding high on the wave of its impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections and is now gearing up for the upcoming Assembly polls. Led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the party is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to regain power in the state. Hooda has unveiled a multi-pronged strategy aimed at engaging with party workers, addressing urban voter concerns, and countering the BJP's outreach to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). 

Engaging with Party Cadres 

Holding one-on-one meetings with all 27 MLAs to evaluate the parliamentary poll results, Hooda announced plans to hold workers' meetings in all districts. The schedule for these meetings will be released on Tuesday. These meetings will be presided over by Hooda and state unit president Udai Bhan, allowing for direct interaction with the party's grassroots-level workers. Later, the program could be extended to individual Assembly constituencies as well.

Addressing Urban Voter Concerns 

During the discussions, it was acknowledged that the Congress party was lagging in support from urban pockets during the Lok Sabha polls. Hooda has instructed the MLAs to specifically address this issue and devise strategies to connect with urban voters effectively. 

Countering BJP's OBC Outreach

The BJP's recent moves, such as appointing Nayab Singh Saini, an OBC leader, as the Chief Minister of Haryana, and inducting OBC ministers like Rao Inderjit Singh (Ahir community) and Krishan Pal Gurjar (Gujjar community) at the Center, have not gone unnoticed by the Congress. Discussions were held to formulate a plan to counter the BJP's efforts to consolidate OBC votes. 

Extending Gratitude to Voters

Upbeat after the victory in five Lok Sabha seats, the Congress party has decided to hold events to express gratitude to the people for voting for the party. 

Other Key Discussions

During the meeting, the Congress criticised the BJP government's revival of the 'Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojana' policy of providing 100 sq yard plots after a hiatus of more than nine years, questioning the timing and intent behind the move. The party also raised concerns over the distribution of 'HAPPY' cards for free bus travel, citing a reduction in the number of Haryana Roadways buses compared to the Congress regime.

Feedback and Introspection

In one-on-one meetings with all 27 MLAs, Hooda led an evaluation of the parliamentary poll results and gathered feedback from the MLAs, providing valuable insights into the party's performance and areas that require attention. 

While some MLAs from the anti-Hooda camp, such as Kiran Choudhry, Shalley, and Renu Bala, did not attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting, others like Shamsher Singh Gogi and Pardeep Chaudhary were present. The party appears united in its resolve to mount a formidable challenge against the ruling BJP in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Four newly elected MPs – Deepender Hooda, Varun Chaudhary, Satpal Brahamchari, and Jai Prakash – also addressed the Congress MLAs during the meeting.