Congress is united and stronger than ever: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda exudes confidence, the kind you’d expect from a person who believes the seat of power is rightfully his. On the campaign trail ahead of the Haryana assembly election, his demeanour is of a man who knows he has the support of the electorate.

Hooda Sr, who was fond of playing badminton and tennis in his youth, is seen as the architect of Haryana’s surge in the field of sports, as the visionary who saw the state’s potential and built enabling infrastructure. He says he has earned bragging rights and scoffs at the BJP’s governance record.

By getting the Election Commission of India to shift the polling date from 1 to 5 October, the BJP had hoped to improve its chances. In a tacit admission of its dependence on urban middle-class voters, the party had argued that voters would be away on vacation over the extended holiday weekend.

The four-day extension of the campaigning period does not seem to have made much of a difference, though, in what is still effectively a two-horse race between the Congress and the BJP. Bhupinder Hooda says he is confident of a convincing and comprehensive victory for the Congress.

In his public addresses, rather than pleading for votes, he has been appealing to voters to ensure that the anti-BJP vote does not split like last time. He has been crisscrossing the state, tirelessly addressing rallies and smaller meetings and making home-appearances in village after village. In the midst of hectic electioneering, Herjinder caught up with him for a brief chat. Excerpts:

While the Congress and you have promised farmers a new deal, issues such as the pricing of diesel, pesticides and fertilisers come under the domain of the Union government. Even the minimum support price (MSP) is determined by New Delhi. How do you plan to deliver on these promises?

The Congress party has made a firm commitment to guarantee MSP for farmers in the state. We will introduce a robust law to ensure this promise is kept. We will focus on providing farmers with full and affordable electricity as per their requirements. We will also ensure that fertilisers, seeds and pesticides are made available on time, so farmers don’t face unnecessary delays or financial burdens. Timely purchase of farmers’ crops and prompt payments will be ensured.

We are determined to ease the burden on the farmers and address their concerns effectively. We are also confident that the Congress central leadership will keep up the pressure on the Union government inside and outside Parliament.

A Congress government in the state will face similar difficulties when it comes to the Agnipath scheme. It is a policy initiated by the Union government. How much can the state do to address the anger among youth?

It’s true that the Agnipath scheme is a Central government initiative. However, the state government and the Congress will strive to ensure that Agniveers who complete their four-year term of service in the Army be given priority in state government jobs. We will address their concerns and find solutions at the state level.

We are also confident that the Congress central leadership will continue to build pressure on the Union government to scrap the ill-advised scheme nationally.

Last time when your government came to power, the very first decision you took was to waive electricity bills for farmers. What will be the first decision of the Congress government this time?

Our first priority will be to release the results of the pending recruitment tests left unresolved by the current administration. We will ensure the completion of recruitments for state government, Haryana Police and Group-G, and we will guarantee that all selected candidates receive prompt appointments.

We will also immediately fulfil the long-standing demand of employees for the restoration of the old pension scheme. We will reinstate the pension of Rs 6,000 for the elderly and introduce a ‘respect’ allowance of Rs 2,000 for women. Our seven key guarantees — which include providing gas cylinders at Rs 500 — will be implemented on priority.

To address the issue of unemployment, we will initiate the process of one lakh new job recruitments within the first year of our government.

How would you explain the below-par performance of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections just three months ago? The Congress was confident of winning all 10 seats in the Lok Sabha from Haryana but won only five. What has changed in the last three months?

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP was pushing the narrative of winning over 400 seats across the country. This slogan was amplified by the entire media, which created an artificial euphoria. People were bombarded with fake surveys and manipulated data designed to sway public opinion. The BJP also confidently claimed it would win all 10 seats in Haryana. If the media had reported correctly and honestly, I have no doubt the Congress would have won all 10 seats in Haryana.

The situation for the BJP has become so dire now that the party isn’t even discussing its performance over the past nine-and-a-half years. Their entire governance record seems to have been pushed aside, and they aren’t even mentioning the name of their former chief minister in their campaigns. This silence signals that even the BJP acknowledges that it has run an ineffective and failed government in the state — one whose track record is so poor that it cannot be used to ask for votes in this election.

There are media reports of factionalism in the Haryana Congress. How confident are you that the party will come together and fight the elections unitedly?

The Congress is united and stronger than ever. Factionalism? You should take a closer look at what’s happening within the BJP. Nobody can miss the turmoil and chaos in the BJP after ticket distribution.

Senior BJP leaders like Rao Inderjit Singh, Rambilas Sharma and Anil Vij have been sidelined or are facing internal challenges. Several prominent figures, including tall leaders like Karnadev Kamboj, along with many sitting and former MLAs, have joined the Congress. Their own leaders and workers feel disrespected and alienated; not just the public but their own party leaders and workers have lost faith in the party and its leadership.