Before Hooda came to power, the Chautalas had complete sway over the Jatland, but in the last five years, Hooda has made significant inroads

Knowing fully well how crucial Jat votes are for gaining absolute power in Haryana, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress and former CM and Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala are engaged in a fierce battle with each other over getting the community’s support.

Considered the strongest Jat leader in the state at present, Hooda knows that to maintain the current overwhelming lead the Congress enjoys over other parties, it would be essential to retain supremacy over Jat votes in Haryana. The wily Chautala also realises that no comeback of his party in the state can be possible without winning back the Jat votes and support that he and his late father Devi Lal once enjoyed.

The task is ardous, but both the Jat leaders are fighting a turf war over the all-important issue. Before Hooda came to power after a Congress wave swept the state in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Chautalas had complete sway over the Jatland, but in the last five years since then, Hooda has not just made good inroads, but also won large support of the Jats. What’s even better, he, along with his MP son from Rohtak, Deepinder Hooda, is now looking to further strengthen that support and condolidate their stronghold.

It was in the context of these two leaders’ grand design over the Jat votes that Hooda did not hesitate in crossing swords with his own colleage, Finance Minister Birender Singh, over the Sonepat seat. No doubt Birender Singh is also a big Jat leader of the Congress, but Birender and Hooda rarely see eye to eye with each other and Hooda wanted his own candidate, Jitender Malik, to be the party’s nominee. In the end, Birender Singh, despite his proximity to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, had to bite the dust even as Hooda had his way.

... contd.