Hooda-Surjewala Mic Exchange Exposes Haryana Congress Power Struggle

A viral 30-second video has brought internal power dynamics within the Haryana Congress party into sharp focus. At a welcome programme for newly appointed All India Congress Committee in-charge Sanjay Dutt, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was seen leaning towards Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala and saying in Hindi: “Tu mera saath de, fer dekh dhamaka” (You support me, then see the impact).

Surjewala, taking the microphone from state party president Rao Narendra Singh, responded: “Mujhe apka sath dete hue 20 saal ho gaye. Ab apki bari hai mera sath dene ki” (It’s been 20 years I’ve supported you. Now it’s your turn). The exchange, though light-hearted, is seen as reflecting underlying tensions and aspirations within the party.

Surjewala did not stop there. On stage, he highlighted electoral statistics that have challenged the party for nearly two decades. “Since 2005 (when Hooda first became Chief Minister), we have not won a single election on our own,” he said. Congress has secured a simple majority only three times since Haryana’s formation: in 1972, 1991, and 2005. “We formed governments with support, but that’s different,” he added, referring to the Hooda-led government in 2009, which came to power after five Haryana Janhit Congress MLAs defected to Congress.

He also dismissed the Hooda camp’s defence of the 2024 Assembly election results. Despite a high vote share, “the number of MLAs got stuck at 37, but you need 46,” he said. “You cannot implement programmes without being in power. You can’t bring social change without being in power. That is the harsh reality.”

The timing of the exchange is significant. The party’s narrow defeat in the 2024 polls has revived internal demands for change. A section of workers blame the Hooda family for repeated setbacks. The high command’s hesitation was evident in the year-long delay in naming Hooda as Leader of Opposition after the poll loss, widely interpreted as a pushback against his dominance.

The Gandhi family has sent mixed signals. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the Hoodas’ annual lunch earlier this year, seen as an endorsement that briefly silenced critics. However, Rahul Gandhi’s participation in former MP Brijendra Singh’s Padyatra—which the Hooda camp stayed away from, calling it “not an official party programme”—was viewed as a setback for Hooda.

Hooda, 78, has led the state party for around three decades. He served as Chief Minister from 2005-2014 and was Haryana Pradesh Congress President from 1996 to 2021, besides being three times Leader of the Opposition. His son, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, has been a five-time Member of Parliament.

Surjewala’s position in this churn is complicated. He served as a Cabinet Minister in both Hooda governments and was once considered close to him, but the relationship has been ambiguous. He was long grouped with the anti-Hooda “SRK” faction (alongside Kumari Selja and Kiran Choudhary). After Choudhary quit to join the BJP, Surjewala and his son Aditya supported Brijendra Singh during the padyatra—a known Hooda rival.

Surjewala’s move to national politics also indicated frayed trust. After losing the Jind by-poll and his home turf Kaithal in the 2019 Assembly elections, the 59-year-old contested the 2022 Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan, not Haryana. This choice was widely interpreted as a precaution against sabotage by the Hooda camp.