Rohtak, "I want to fight this battle not for myself but for you... I want to make Haryana number one once again," declared Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda from the dais while addressing an election rally in his home constituency , Garhi Sampla. Kiloi here a few days ago.
The former Haryana chief minister, who turned 77 on Sunday, is a four-time MP from Rohtak and defeated former deputy chief minister Devi Lal from the parliamentary seat in the 1990s.
Although the Congress has made it clear that its MPs and high command will choose the prime minister if the party wins the elections, the Jat Hooda stalwart is virtually the face of the Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls. The Congress is contesting 89 seats - except Bhiwani, which he left for the CPI(M) - and most of them have gone to Hooda loyalists or those considered close to him. Additionally, the party has re-introduced all 28 sitting MLAs, most of whom owe allegiance to Hooda.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, barring the Sirsa seat contested and won by his béte noire Kumari Selja, Hooda's election prevailed in the remaining eight of the nine constituencies in which the Congress was contesting.
It won five seats, including Sirsa, while its INDIA block ally AAP unsuccessfully fought for the Kurukshetra seat. In the Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fights alone after votes failed to materialise. talks with Congress to form an alliance. Hooda is believed to have opposed any association with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party for the Assembly elections.
Despite opposition from some of his detractors within the party, Hooda has managed to maintain tight control over the affairs of the Haryana Congress.
The Garhi Sampla-Kiloi assembly segment, a Jat-dominated rural constituency in Rohtak from where the former chief minister is seeking re-election, came into existence in 2007, after delimitation of the constituencies. It is considered a "gadh" (stronghold) of the Hooda family. Before delimitation, this seat was known as Kiloi. In 2005, the Congress high command hand-picked Hooda, who was then MP from Rohtak, to be the chief minister of the state after the party returned to power by winning 67 seats. .
Hooda had pipped party veteran Bhajan Lal to the chief ministerial race and remained in office until 2014.
After filing his nomination papers last week, Hooda told the people of his constituency: "You gave me a chance. Whatever I become today, I owe it to you and your blessings." He said even this age wanted to fight an "aar paar ki ladai (battle of life and death)", not for himself, but for the people of the state and sought their support to oust the BJP from power.
"I want our state to be number one again in every area," he said.
Hooda reiterated that in next month's elections people will "reject katu (vote-cutting) parties" and there will be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, which has been out of power for more than a decade. When asked Asked how confident he was in Congress' victory, Hooda said: "We will win with a huge majority. Chattis biradari (people from all sections) have decided to bring Congress back to power. BJP is on the verge of exit and Congress is returning to power."
Hooda said that when he got the opportunity to lead the government, Haryana was far ahead in various development parameters - per capita income, investments, law and order, employment generation, welfare of farmers and the poor, among others.
"But today the state has fallen behind. Unemployment is at its peak, crime is increasing and people feel insecure," he said. Hooda said people are fed up with the 10-year BJP rule.
Criticizing the BJP's claims of ensuring transparent administration, equitable development and merit-based jobs, the Congress leader said, "Everyone knows that its claims on development are hollow and this government has been hit by several scams." .
"But they are experts in event management and always try to cover up their failures," he said. Hooda has ensured doubling of pensions for the elderly, filling of two lakh "vacant" posts, 300 units of electricity and gas cylinders free at Rs 500 each, and restoration of the old pension scheme for government employees if Congress comes to power.
The BJP has fielded Manju Hooda, 35, president of Rohtak Zila Parishad, against the Congress leader in Garhi Sampla-Kiloi.
Asked if she considered the contest a challenge, Manju Hooda said, "I have been among the people and done their job (as Zila Parishad president). I have ensured development. Therefore, I don't see it as a challenge. "I am confident in the hard work I have been putting in and I am sure that people will give me their blessings," she said.
Before the withdrawal of candidatures, 11 candidates from INLD, JJP, AAP and some independents were in the fray in the constituency.
Among the independents is Amit Hooda, 26, a commerce graduate who is currently pursuing his postgraduate degree. "I come from a non-political background and this is my first choice. I have always been motivated by my grandfather, who did a lot of social service. He also I wanted to do something for my people, so that is the inspiration behind my choice," he said.
Meanwhile, Rajender, a Congress supporter, claimed that Hooda will win by a huge margin as Garhi Sampla-Kiloi is his pocket constituency. A BJP supporter, however, claimed that Manju Hooda would emerge victorious as he has the support of the people, especially the youth, due to his work and the development carried out by the BJP government in the state. .
The former Haryana chief minister, who turned 77 on Sunday, is a four-time MP from Rohtak and defeated former deputy chief minister Devi Lal from the parliamentary seat in the 1990s.
Although the Congress has made it clear that its MPs and high command will choose the prime minister if the party wins the elections, the Jat Hooda stalwart is virtually the face of the Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls. The Congress is contesting 89 seats - except Bhiwani, which he left for the CPI(M) - and most of them have gone to Hooda loyalists or those considered close to him. Additionally, the party has re-introduced all 28 sitting MLAs, most of whom owe allegiance to Hooda.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, barring the Sirsa seat contested and won by his béte noire Kumari Selja, Hooda's election prevailed in the remaining eight of the nine constituencies in which the Congress was contesting.
It won five seats, including Sirsa, while its INDIA block ally AAP unsuccessfully fought for the Kurukshetra seat. In the Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fights alone after votes failed to materialise. talks with Congress to form an alliance. Hooda is believed to have opposed any association with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party for the Assembly elections.
Despite opposition from some of his detractors within the party, Hooda has managed to maintain tight control over the affairs of the Haryana Congress.
The Garhi Sampla-Kiloi assembly segment, a Jat-dominated rural constituency in Rohtak from where the former chief minister is seeking re-election, came into existence in 2007, after delimitation of the constituencies. It is considered a "gadh" (stronghold) of the Hooda family. Before delimitation, this seat was known as Kiloi. In 2005, the Congress high command hand-picked Hooda, who was then MP from Rohtak, to be the chief minister of the state after the party returned to power by winning 67 seats. .
Hooda had pipped party veteran Bhajan Lal to the chief ministerial race and remained in office until 2014.
After filing his nomination papers last week, Hooda told the people of his constituency: "You gave me a chance. Whatever I become today, I owe it to you and your blessings." He said even this age wanted to fight an "aar paar ki ladai (battle of life and death)", not for himself, but for the people of the state and sought their support to oust the BJP from power.
"I want our state to be number one again in every area," he said.
Hooda reiterated that in next month's elections people will "reject katu (vote-cutting) parties" and there will be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, which has been out of power for more than a decade. When asked Asked how confident he was in Congress' victory, Hooda said: "We will win with a huge majority. Chattis biradari (people from all sections) have decided to bring Congress back to power. BJP is on the verge of exit and Congress is returning to power."
Hooda said that when he got the opportunity to lead the government, Haryana was far ahead in various development parameters - per capita income, investments, law and order, employment generation, welfare of farmers and the poor, among others.
"But today the state has fallen behind. Unemployment is at its peak, crime is increasing and people feel insecure," he said. Hooda said people are fed up with the 10-year BJP rule.
Criticizing the BJP's claims of ensuring transparent administration, equitable development and merit-based jobs, the Congress leader said, "Everyone knows that its claims on development are hollow and this government has been hit by several scams." .
"But they are experts in event management and always try to cover up their failures," he said. Hooda has ensured doubling of pensions for the elderly, filling of two lakh "vacant" posts, 300 units of electricity and gas cylinders free at Rs 500 each, and restoration of the old pension scheme for government employees if Congress comes to power.
The BJP has fielded Manju Hooda, 35, president of Rohtak Zila Parishad, against the Congress leader in Garhi Sampla-Kiloi.
Asked if she considered the contest a challenge, Manju Hooda said, "I have been among the people and done their job (as Zila Parishad president). I have ensured development. Therefore, I don't see it as a challenge. "I am confident in the hard work I have been putting in and I am sure that people will give me their blessings," she said.
Before the withdrawal of candidatures, 11 candidates from INLD, JJP, AAP and some independents were in the fray in the constituency.
Among the independents is Amit Hooda, 26, a commerce graduate who is currently pursuing his postgraduate degree. "I come from a non-political background and this is my first choice. I have always been motivated by my grandfather, who did a lot of social service. He also I wanted to do something for my people, so that is the inspiration behind my choice," he said.
Meanwhile, Rajender, a Congress supporter, claimed that Hooda will win by a huge margin as Garhi Sampla-Kiloi is his pocket constituency. A BJP supporter, however, claimed that Manju Hooda would emerge victorious as he has the support of the people, especially the youth, due to his work and the development carried out by the BJP government in the state. .
