In the ticket distribution for the assembly elections in Haryana, former Chief Minister and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was the boss from the BJP side and former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda was the boss from the Congress side. Khattar took the decision of most of the tickets in BJP. There, neither the state president knew that his ticket was being cut nor the Chief Minister knew that his seat was being changed. Similarly, in Congress, many big leaders of the party had no idea about the ticket. Both Hooda’s supporters and opponents were looking at him. The Congress high command held the meeting of the Central Election Committee several times, took feedback and also conducted surveys but in the end what happened was what Hooda wanted.
Congress is contesting on 89 out of 90 seats in Haryana, while one seat has been left for CPM. Think about it, CPM last won any assembly seat in Haryana 34 years ago. But one seat of Bhiwani was given to it because Hooda did not want any candidate of Kumari Selja to get a ticket on that seat. Anyway, according to a report, tickets have been given on 72 out of 89 seats as per Hooda’s choice. Actually, Hooda’s supporters were explaining to the Congress high command for a long time that last time only 50 tickets were given as per Hooda’s choice, that is why Congress was able to win 31 seats. If 70 or more seats had been given, Congress would have formed the government last time itself. So, this time the Congress high command has given 72 seats as per his choice. Hooda’s choice has been taken care of so much that Rahul Gandhi could not get Shweta Dhal a ticket on Kalayat seat. Shweta Dhal had accompanied him in Bharat Jodo Yatra and Rahul calls her a firebrand leader. But the ticket was given to Vikas Saharan, son of Hooda’s close aide and Hisar MP Jaiprakash. It is being said that the tickets given as per the choice of other state leaders were also decided only after Hooda’s approval.