NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH, Apr 27:
The Congress toay revamped its Haryana unit, appointing former legislator and Bhupinder Singh Hooda loyalist Udai Bhan as chief of its state unit to replace Kumari Selja, and naming four working presidents.
As part of the reorganisation of the state unit, which had been on the cards for the past few weeks, the Congress appointed Shruti Choudhary, Ram Kishan Gujjar, Jitender Kumar Bhardwaj and Suresh Gupta as working presidents in the state.
“The Congress president has accepted the resignation of Kumari Selja from the post of the president, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect,” an official statement from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said.
“The party appreciates the contribution of Kumari Selja,” the statement also said.
Bhan’s appointment has the stamp of former Chief Minister Hooda whose stronghold on the party will be further strengthened, since he himself is the CLP leader. The power factor continues to be with Hooda, who will enjoy a free hold within the party now.
Sixty six-year-old Bhan is the son of former MLA from Hassanpur Gaya Lal and is from the Scheduled Caste community. He has been a four-time former MLA from Hodal and earlier from Hassanpur constituency and has remained with Hooda all along. Bhan has also been chairman of Kribhco (Krishak Bharti Cooperative Limited) from November 1989 to May 1993.
Selja said that she had submitted her resignation to the party high command a few days ago and described herself as a “true soldier of the party”.
“I am a true soldier of the Congress party. I have full faith in my high command and we will all work together. My congratulations to the new state unit president and the working presidents,” she said.
Hooda, Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, termed Bhan a hard working leader who has worked at the grassroots.
“His appointment will further strengthen the Congress,” Hooda said.
Referring to the appointment of the four working presidents, Hooda said, “All will work together and strengthen the Congress.”
While Choudhary is the granddaughter of former chief minister Bansi Lal and has been a former MP from Bhiwani, Ram Kishan Gujjar is a close associate of Selja and Bhardwaj is a Hooda confidante.
Soon after his appointment, Bhan went over to Hooda’s residence to thank him and then the two left for the former’s native village in Hodal of Palwal district in Faridabad.
Before the appointments were made, Rajya Sabha member Deepinder Singh Hooda also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The appointments came after a series of meetings with senior leaders from the party including Randeep Surjewala, Kiran Chaudhary, former Chief Minister’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi. (PTI)
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