Tue Nov 12 03:08:34 UTC 2024: ## Congress in Disarray as Haryana Assembly Session Looms
**Chandigarh, November 12, 2024:** As the first winter session of the Haryana Assembly kicks off on Wednesday, the Congress, the main opposition party, faces a major hurdle – a lack of a designated Leader of the Opposition. The delay in choosing a leader has fueled speculation about internal factionalism within the party, a problem that plagued the party during the recent election and persists even after their electoral defeat.
The party’s inability to select a leader after a month since the election results has become a political opportunity for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to highlight the Congress’s apparent disunity.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who held the position of Leader of the Opposition in the previous Assembly, is vying for the position again, facing competition from fellow MLAs Ashok Arora and Chander Mohan. Adding to the tension, the camps of Hooda and Lok Sabha MP Kumari Selja, who have been locked in a power struggle, are reportedly vying for their respective leaders to secure the position.
Haryana Congress president Chaudhary Udaybhan attributed the delay to the party’s focus on upcoming assembly elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, stating that a decision on the CLP leader would be made soon.
However, the BJP has seized on the situation, criticizing the Congress for its lack of unity and questioning their ability to effectively represent the people. Haryana Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Mahipal Dhanda, highlighted the importance of a strong opposition voice in the Assembly, arguing that without a leader, the public cannot expect meaningful dialogue and representation of their concerns.
The upcoming assembly session, scheduled to begin with the Governor’s address on Wednesday and conclude on November 18, promises to be a tense affair, as the Congress grapples with internal divisions while the BJP seeks to exploit their weakness.
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