india

Updated: Aug 18, 2019 01:00 IST

Suspense continues on former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s next steps at his Maha Parivartan rally on Sunday amid claims by his supporters that he met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Saturday afternoon.

Close aides of Hooda, who has denied meeting Sonia Gandhi, have been pressuring him to part ways with the Congress and decide his course of action on Sunday. Hooda, a prominent Jat face of Haryana, and state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, a Dalit leader considered close to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, have been sparring over several issues for years.

Asked if he would float a new party on Sunday, Hooda quipped, “Kal ki baat kal karenge (We will talk of tomorrow’s matters tomorrow).”

Krishnamurti Hooda, an aide of the former chief minister, said, “Our supporters want the former chief minister to float a new political outfit and leave the Congress tomorrow. I am hoping he will listen to the voice of the workers before taking any decision.”

Another aide and former legislator, Sant Kumar, said party workers wanted to contest the assembly election later this year under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

“As per recent developments, we can join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar but anything can happen by tomorrow. There is very little chance that we will continue with the Congress but the final call will be taken by Hooda himself,” he said.

Jai Tirath Dahiya, who quit as Haryana MLA a few days ago, said it was impossible to continue in the Congress under Tanwar.

“Tanwar abused me at the party meeting in Delhi, after which I made a written complaint to the party’s Haryana in-charge, Ghulam Nabi Azad. But the party has not taken any action, which hurts my sentiments. I will always stand by Bhupinder Singh Hooda and I will continue my political journey with him,” he said.