Election Desk, Delhi Magazine: In a recent statement, Congress in-charge Deepak Babaria hinted that the party might consider someone who is not contesting the upcoming assembly elections as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
This statement is widely believed to be pointing towards Deepender Hooda, whose padyatra has reportedly impressed the Congress high command. The leadership appears keen on promoting a young face in Haryana, with Deepender emerging as a strong contender.
This move is seen as a significant gamble by Bhupendra Hooda, the veteran Congress leader and Deepender’s father. It draws parallels to Bhupendra Hooda’s own rise to the Chief Minister’s position while serving as an MP.
The Congress high command’s plan seems to include a strategic shift, with Raja Waring being considered for leadership in Punjab and Deepender Hooda for Haryana, signaling a generational change within the party’s ranks in these key states.
The upcoming Haryana Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in 2024. The exact date for the election has not yet been announced, but it is expected to take place towards the end of 2024, as the current assembly’s term ends in October 2024.
In terms of candidates, the BJP is reportedly finalizing its list of candidates, and discussions around ticket distribution are intense. The Congress is also strategizing, with many within the party considering a focus on non-Jat communities to counter the BJP’s social engineering efforts. Notably, the Congress has received over 2,500 applications for tickets, indicating high interest in contesting the elections