Haryana: Congress Faces Setback As Party's OBC Face Capt Ajay Yadav Quits Days After Poll Drubbing

In October 2024, Haryana, India, faced a significant political shift as Capt Ajay Yadav, a prominent leader of the Congress party, publicly announced his resignation from both his post and the party itself. This move ended a longstanding relationship spanning over 70 years between his family and Congress. His decision stemmed from dissatisfaction with how the party treated him following Sonia Gandhi's departure from the presidency, which he described as shabby. Capt Yadav, also a five-time MLA, expressed his disillusionment through social media, indicating that his contributions to the party were overlooked, especially after his son, Chiranjeev Yadav, lost his assembly seat in a recent election by a substantial margin to the BJP candidate, Laxman Singh Yadav. This defeat was particularly disappointing, considering the familial ties and political backing from notable allies. Yadav's departure is part of a broader trend of discontent within the Haryana Congress, with other prominent leaders like Kiran Choudhry and Kumari Selja expressing similar grievances, particularly regarding favoritism and party dynamics under the influence of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The combination of strained internal dynamics and electoral defeats poses a challenge for Congress in Haryana, hinting at potential further fragmentation of the party in the region.