Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda backs Article 370's abrogation

Senior Congress leader and two-time Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Pic/ANI

Rohtak (Haryana): Senior Congress leader and two-time Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda supported the Narendra Modi government's move to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution on Sunday In Rohtak. Addressing a 'Mahaparivartan Rally' in his hometown, Hooda said he would not compromise with anyone on the issue of patriotism. "When the government does something right, I support it", he said.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda also announced a 25-member panel, comprising 13 MLAs owing allegiance to him, to decide the future of Congress in the state. "Since the issue (to continue with the Congress or not) pertains to the future of people, I can't take the decision alone. The decision of the 25-member committee will later be announced in Chandigarh."

Hooda sent out a clear signal to the central Congress leadership to hand over the party's reins in the state to him, or he would go his own way ahead of the Assembly polls which is slated later this year.

Also Read: Congress: Haryana has become crime hub under BJP government

There were speculations that Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda, former MP, might quit the Congress after they said they were sidelined by the party high command. It was speculated that they may either join Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) or float their own outfit.

In this regard, Hooda had a closed-door meeting with top Congress leaders a day earlier in New Delhi during which they tried to convince him not to take any hasty decision to quit the party as it had always given him the due importance.

While Haryana's main opposition -- the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) -- has seen most of its legislators and leaders joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), infighting continues to dog the Congress. In the absence of any political direction and agenda, the Congress workers were disillusioned, a former Congress minister told the news agency IANS.

The BJP improved its 2009 tally of four to 47, in the October 2014 polls, followed by the INLD with 19 legislators while the Congress came in third with 15 seats. Two seats went to the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), and one each to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Five Independents were also elected.

Also Read: Narendra Modi: Spirit of 'One Nation, One Constitution' becomes reality with removal of Article 370

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from IANS

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