New Delhi:

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda has said since the Congress went out of power a decade ago, the state has been on a downward spiral. Enumerating the sectors where the Congress left Haryana in the Number One spot, he told NDTV in an exclusive interview that it was per capita income, investment, employment, law and order and sports.

“Now, Haryana is Number One in unemployment. Law and order is going out of their hands. The Social Progressive Index has declared Haryana as unsafe unsecured state. And our team of women wrestlers, who brought name and fame to the country, are sitting on protest in Jantar Mantar and still not getting justice,” he told NDTV.

Last but not the least are the farmers and government employees, “all of whom are on protest mode”.

Regarding the pension of government employees, he said the BJP-led government at the Centre should have reverted to the Old Pension Scheme that was in place before the New Pension Scheme was brought in by the government led by Atal  Bihari Vajpayee in 2004.

Asked whether he welcomed the new UPS scheme the government is bringing in, the response was emphatic. “They should have gone for the OPS,” which, he said, the Congress has promised to the people in Haryana.

The other big issue in this election is that of farmers, who form the largest voting bloc in the state. Last time, the new outfit JJP (Jannayak Janta Party) of Dushyant Chautala had scooped up 14 per cent of votes eating into the Congress share, and won 10 seats.   

But since then, the party has faced the brunt of the farmers’ anger, It failed to win a single seat in the Lok Sabha election. The party has blamed it on the anti-incumbency against the BJP, with which its partnership has ended.

Mr Hooda indicated that it was not a surprise.

“In 2014 and 2024, the BJP promised they will be doubling the income of farmers by 2022. But what happened? The income of farmers has not doubled. But the cost of input has gone up manifold,” he said. As example, he cited the cost of diesel, fertiliser, and pesticides.
Haryana will have a single-phase election on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 4.

In 2019, the BJP had won 40 of the state’s 90 assembly seats and formed government with the JJP, which won 10. The Congress won 31 seats.

Chandigarh:

Promising one lakh permanent jobs soon after the announcement of Assembly elections in Haryana, two-time Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda said the poll results on October 4 the ruling BJP would be out of the state.

Addressing the media with state party President Chaudhary Udaibhan, Bhupinder Hooda said the people have made up their minds to oust the BJP from Haryana and bring a Congress government.

“The Congress has also prepared a roadmap for the work of the upcoming government. As soon as the government is formed, one lakh permanent recruitments will be done within a year. Jobs will be given on the basis of merit by eliminating paper leaks and recruitment mafia from Haryana. Any kind of negligence in the recruitment process and its transparency will not be tolerated. Strict laws will be implemented against irregularities in recruitment,” he said.

Bhupinder Hooda said the Congress has made promises like a Rs 6,000 pension to the elderly, One-Rank Pension (OPS) to employees, gas cylinder for Rs 500, 300 units of free electricity.

“Soon the party’s manifesto will be released which will have a complete roadmap of the work of the government for five years. The Congress will implement its announcements with full commitment and will free Haryana from unemployment, corruption, crime and drug addiction,” he said.

“Despite being in the opposition for 10 years, the Congress will take its work to the public, while the BJP itself has nothing to tell except its failures. This government spent the entire 10 years in corruption-causing portal schemes like property ID, family ID, and Meri Fasal Mera Byora. That is why today, instead of counting its own works, the ruling BJP is asking questions from the Opposition Congress.

“On October 1, the public will answer all the questions and atrocities of the BJP with the blow of votes,” he stated.

Chaudhary Udaibhan said the Congress is fully prepared for the elections as the party has been continuously among the people as a responsible opposition for the last five years.

“It is clear from the tremendous support of the public to all the programs of the party that the people have made up their mind to overthrow the corrupt rule of the BJP,” he said.

He said the workers’ conferences being organised by the party to thank them for their efforts during the Lok Sabha elections, automatically turned into big public meetings.

“Earlier, the whole of Haryana and the media witnessed the huge crowds of people in the programs of Congress’s Jan Milan Samaroh, Hath Se Hath Jodo Abhiyan and Opposition Aapke Samaksh,” he said.

“Now, thousands of people are gathering everywhere in MP Deepender Singh Hooda’s ‘Haryana Maange Hisaab’ padayatra. Now the slogan on everyone’s lips in Haryana is Haath Badlega Halaat, Congress se hi Aas,” and expressed confidence that the Congress government is going to be formed with more than a two-third majority.

Answering questions from the reporters, Hooda said Haryana had developed in all directions during the tenure of Congress.

“The Congress freed businessmen from inspectors and hooliganism, but the BJP protected criminals and got businessmen shot at,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

In the middle of the Lok Sabha election, dramatic developments have reduced the BJP-led state government to a minority in Haryana Assembly. The Congress is now racing against time to make the most of the situation and cobble together the numbers required to topple the Nayab Singh Saini government months before state polls.

Behind the crisis is the decision of three Independent MLAs to switch from the BJP camp to the Congress side last evening. MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) announced their decision to withdraw support to the BJP government at a press meet in Rohtak yesterday. They were accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Congress’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and state Congress chief Udai Bhan.

Addressing the media, Mr Hooda said, “The government should resign. President’s rule should be imposed in the state and elections held. This is an anti-people government.”

Chief Minister Saini, who took over the top post just about two months back, had a guarded response. “When I heard about it, I knew that moment the Congress is trying to fulfil their wishes. Everyone has a wish. But the people know. They know the Congress has got nothing to do with the wishes of people, but is only focused on fulfilling their wishes,” he said. The Chief Minister did not elaborate on how the BJP plans to counter the threat to its government.

In a significant remark, Haryana Speaker Gian Chand Gupta has said a majority test had earlier been conducted on the demand of Mr Hooda and there is no need to conduct another for six months. The Nayab Singh Saini government cleared a trust vote soon after he took over in March.

The JJP Factor

Adding a twist to the Haryana political upheaval, the BJP’s former ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has offered support to the Congress. JJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has said the government has lost the trust of the people. “We will support a move to bring down the government. The Congress has to decide if it will make a move or not,” he said. This comes less than two months after the BJP parted ways with JJP, which has 10 MLAs, and cobbled together enough numbers to cross the majority mark.

How The Numbers Stack Up

The 90-seat Haryana Assembly currently has 88 members. This means the majority mark is 45. The BJP has 40 MLAs of its own and is supported by three out of 6 Independent MLAs. This makes it 43, two short of the magic figure. The Congress has 30 legislators and three Independents now support it. If the JJP backs it, the Congress will have the support of 43 MLAs. This leaves two MLAs — one from Haryana Lokhit Party and the other from INLD.

The Chautala Family Factor

An interesting subplot playing out amid the Haryana government crisis is linked to the Chautala clan that once dominated the state’s political landscape before a string of poll setbacks, convictions and a split reduced INLD to a one-man party in the Assembly. Currently, INLD general secretary Abhay Chautala is the party’s lone MLA in the Assembly. Now that the JJP, led by Mr Chautala’s estranged nephew Dushyant Chautala has offered support to the Congress, the question is will Abhay Chautala remain on the same side or join ranks with BJP.