Congress will win 7-8 seats in Haryana: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Interview/ Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress leader and former Haryana CM

88005500_20151210_006 Bhupinder Singh Hooda | File

Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda was a four-time member of the Lok Sabha (1991, 1996, 1998 and 2004) and the chief minister of Haryana for two consecutive terms, from 2005 to 2014. In an exclusive interview to THE WEEK, the strongest Congress candidate in Haryana contesting from Sonipat, talks about the Congress and its chances to regain power.

You are coming back to national politics after a gap of 14 years.

I was an MLA in 2004, but then my party needed a parliament seat. So, I decided to contest. However, in 2005, I returned to state politics. History might repeat now.

Will you be the CM face in the next state assembly elections scheduled for the year-end?

I may go to Chandigarh via Delhi again. I was an MP in 2005 when I moved to state politics. So, you cannot predict anything in politics.

How do you see Congress's chances reviving this time after its worst performance during 2014 general elections?

There is no doubt that the Congress has a bright chance of revival because of the failure of the BJP-led government. The state government, especially, is a complete disaster. And, people still have good memories about the achievements of the UPA government from its last tenure. People are comparing our achievements with BJP's failures. In Haryana, the Congress is winning at least seven to eight seats (of the total 10).

How do you rate the Manohar Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana?

His government has been exposed completely in the last four years. Farmers are in distress, industries are on the verge of collapsing because input cost has been increased and income decreased, resulting in huge debts. The BJP government is nothing more than an event management company. It has taken back Harayana state from the path of development. The BJP had made 154 poll promises, but not even a single promise has been fulfilled till date.

Instead, the social harmony of the state has been badly hit by the Khattar-government 's approach. During the Ram Pal Ashram agitation and Jat agitations, and the tensions after the conviction of Dera (Sacha Sauda) chiefs, the Khattar government conspired to take advantage of the situation by creating a social divide in the communities. I strongly believe now that all the sections of the society have decided to throw out the BJP government from states as well as the Centre.

How do you see nationalism as an issue highlighted by the Modi government? Will it benefit them?

Every 10th person from the armed forces is from Haryana. Such things happened in 1971 also. Our soldiers sacrificed themselves. In democracy, every political party always keeps two policies. One is the national policy, which is clear for everyone. When an enemy targets the country, all parties unite and support the government. On the same line, we supported the Modi government. But it does not mean that they take advantage of the situation by politcising the issue. Jawans sacrificing their lives for the nation do not belong to any political party or a government. They laid their lives for the country. By politicising them, we are actually insulting them (soldiers). It has already been established by so many top generals coming out in public against using soldiers to win elections.

Will Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joining active politics make any diference?

Yes. Certainly. She will add to the Congress. She is already working hard for the party.

How do you look to counter Modi-Shah duo's aggressive strategy?

The Congress party's ideology is always pro-farmers and poor people. And we are following it. NYAY is just an example. During the Congress regime, people were taken out of poverty by the Manmohan Singh government. In the last five years of the Modi government, the distance between the rich and poor has drastically widen. Now again, there is a need to uplift people who are below poverty line. Under the BJP rule, hate, hype and hypocrisy have become the hallmark of their politics and policies. The BJP manifesto is a bundle of lies; for example, at one place it is claimed that they got 1.5 crore houses built. At another place, it declares that 2.5 crore houses were built under Prime Minister Awas Yojana. Whereas, in the budget speech, it was announced that 63 lakh houses have been built. No body knows the actual truth.

Is there a lack of awareness about NYAY among people?

No, it is not true. People have understood it well. Five crore families that are below poverty line, comprising 20 per cent of the total population, will get Rs 72,000 per family annually. NYAY would certainly change the lives of crores of our under-privileged countrymen.

There are many CBI cases against you that are being used by the BJP to attack the Congress. Your reaction?

All the cases against me are political vendetta. Nothing has happened so (far) and investigating agencies have not found anything against me and my family. My government and I had done nothing wrong.

Will the Lok Sabha election results affect Haryana that would be going to polls in six months?

It is difficult to predict anything at the moment. Sometimes, it affects and sometimes, it does not. In 2014, all the seven parliamentary seats were won by the BJP. But in next year's assembly elections, it could only win three of 70 seats. Generally, Lok Sabha results create an impact on the assembly polls.

Will JJP-AAP alliance create any impact?

I don’t think so. The AAP has no presence in Haryana and the INLD-JJP has become irrelevant in the state.