Haryana: Hooda asks party workers to 'expose' BJP govt's 'failures'

CHANDIGARH: With the Haryana Assembly polls a few months away, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda Sunday asked party workers to "expose the BJP government's failures" in the last 10 years.

As the Congress wrested five of the 10 Lok Sabha seats from the ruling BJP in the recently held general elections, the former chief minister expressed gratitude to workers and told them to gear up for the assembly polls.

Addressing the Congress workers in Karnal, the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly said, "You should expose the failures, false promises, corruption during the BJP government's 10-year rule in the state by going to every home."

The assembly polls in Haryana are due in October.

Commenting on Congress' performance in Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls, Hooda said, "This is just a beginning, the real fight lies ahead. We should not stop, nor bow down, we should just keep moving forward till the goal is achieved."

He then told the party workers that they have to do two things before the assembly polls.

"The BJP has been ruling Haryana for nearly 10 years now. They have pushed the state backward on developmental parameters. You have to take their failures to every home. You have to expose their lies, falsehood and corruption which took place during this regime. And the question has to be asked: what did this government do in 10 years?

"Second, the work of the previous Congress government in 10 years has also to be taken to every home and what the party intends to do in future has to be told," he said.

Hooda said when the Congress was in power, Haryana was number one in per capita income, per capita investment, law and order, sports and in giving jobs.

"Today, it (state) is number one in record unemployment, inflation, law and order breakdown, and this comparison has to be made when our workers visit every home," he said.

Hooda alleged that ransoms are being demanded openly from traders.

"Today, no class in Haryana feels safe. There is no merit or reservation in the temporary jobs given under Kaushal Rozgar Nigam, which has become a den of corruption," he alleged.

The BJP promised to double the income of farmers but instead the input cost doubled, he claimed.

Hooda reiterated that if the Congress comes to power in Haryana, the pension of the elderly will be doubled to Rs 6,000 per month.

"Every family will get 300 units of free electricity, while gas cylinders will be provided for Rs 500 per cylinder. Also, old pension scheme for government employees will be restored. Besides, 100 square yard plot scheme for the poor, which was being run during the Congress government's time, will be implemented again," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan thanked all the voters and workers and said Congress' young candidate from Karnal Divyanshu Budhiraja fought the elections strongly.

Budhiraja had lost the Lok Sabha polls from Karnal to BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar.

Bhan called on party workers and leaders to start preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.

"We should not rest for three months. After the (assembly) elections, a Congress government with full majority will be formed in the state," he said.