When senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda arrived for a meeting in the Badli Assembly constituency of Jhajjar district on Saturday, he was greeted with enthusiastic chants of “bhaavi mukhyamantri” (future CM).

Kuldeep Vats, the current Badli MLA and Congress candidate for the upcoming October 5 polls, referred to Hooda as both the CM and the “future of Haryana” during his speech.

Hooda, the Leader of the Opposition, echoed this sentiment in his remarks. “Elect Kuldeep Vats as your MLA, and I will form your government,” he declared, emphasizing that “every vote cast for Vats will benefit him.”

While the Congress central leadership has yet to officially project a CM candidate in Haryana, Hooda has managed to position himself as such in the Jat-dominated regions of Sonipat, Jhajjar, and Jind, which are considered his strongholds. Posters in the area proclaim Hooda as the “CM-to-be.”

Deepak Babaria, AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana, declined to comment on Hooda’s potential candidacy. However, other senior party leaders pointed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement at a September 18 press conference as the party’s official stance. “The elected MLAs will decide who becomes the CM. This is not a new system,” Kharge stated when asked about Hooda’s position.

In recent elections, the Congress has named a CM face, as seen with Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.

Hooda’s influence within the Haryana Congress is unmistakable. Despite competition from various senior leaders, Hooda, a prominent Jat figure and two-time CM, has maintained his standing. Reports suggest that 72 of the party’s 90 candidates were chosen based on Hooda’s recommendations.

In the Scheduled Caste-reserved Jhajjar constituency, where the Congress has fielded sitting MLA Geeta Bhukkal, a large poster outside the party’s election office reads: “Abki baar Hooda sarkar” (This time it’s Hooda’s rule). During a rally in the Baroda constituency, a Congress leader asserted that “Chaudhry Bhupinder Singh Hooda” would be the next CM.

In public meetings held in Gohana and Safidon, Congress’s Sonipat MP Satpal Brahamchari referred to Hooda as both a “former and future CM.”

Regarding the potential projection of Hooda as CM, Congress’s Jhajjar election in-charge Manoj Kumar stated, “If the Congress wins a majority, we are 99% sure that Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be the CM. The final decision rests with the party’s central leadership after the polls.”

As for the possibility of Sirsa MP Kumari Selja or other leaders taking on the CM role, a Sonipat Congress leader commented, “Selja ranks third in the party hierarchy, but Hooda’s influence spans a broader area and he enjoys greater popularity.”

Selja’s recent absence from key Congress events raised eyebrows about her standing within the party. After meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, she reportedly voiced concerns about being overlooked in the manifesto formulation and candidate selection process. Having received reassurances, Selja plans to resume campaigning in Narwana, Jind district, on September 26.

A local Congress leader in Jhajjar noted that Hooda is “leading the campaign in the district,” with many candidates of his choosing.

However, some voters expressed the need for a change in the party’s CM candidate. “Congress leaders are calling for a change in leadership. The party should consider a different CM face in Haryana. Other prominent leaders, like Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala, deserve a chance. Why always Hooda? Is it just because he is a Jat in a Jat-dominated state? The BJP has had non-Jat CMs as well,” remarked Dharmendra Saini in Jhajjar city.

Rocky Yadav from Riwasa town in Mahendragarh added, “Hooda primarily has support among Jats. Other communities, such as Yadavs, Dalits, Rajputs, and Sainis, also vote for Congress. These groups should receive equal opportunities, just like Jats.”