'Neither Tired, Nor Retired': Bhupinder Hooda Ready To Reclaim Haryana CM Seat, Dismisses Factionalism In State Unit

Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed his readiness to reclaim the seat of Haryana CM if Congress wins the upcoming assembly polls. He also dismissed factionalism in the party's state unit.

Ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls, slated to be held later this year, former Haryana chief minister and current Leader of Opposition in the assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday asserted that he is "neither tired, nor retired" to reclaim the CM's seat once again. However, he stated that the Congress high command would decide who would become the CM, which he said, would be determined after the party attains a majority in the upcoming polls.

In an interview with news agency PTI, Hooda said the contest in the assembly elections are scheduled to take place between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, as he relegated the Jannayak Janta Party and the INLD-BSP alliance to just being "vote-cutters".

"Nobody will vote for vote-cutters. You talked of the JJP, they did not even get one per cent vote in the Lok Sabha elections. So fight is between the Congress and the BJP," he said.

'Matbhed Hote Hain, Manbhed Nahi'

Dismissing talks of factionalism in the Congress's Haryana unit, Hooda stressed: "You saw the likes of Anil Vij were not taken in the recent poll committee of the BJP. There is no factionalism in our party. 'Matbhed hote hain, swbhavik hai, lekin manbhed nahi hain (there could be difference of opinion... but no dissension)." 

He said there are no divisions within the Congress and it was the BJP that is a divided house.

"The Congress is fully prepared. It was a good result in Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls. We are ready, they can declare the elections whenever they want. People have made up their minds and a Congress government will be formed after the polls," the two-time chief minister said.

Responding to whether the Congress should declare a chief ministerial face this time, Hooda said that the party follows a process that it follows in election-related matters.

"Elections happen, MLAs are elected, observers are sent and they take their view, and then the high command decides who will be CM," Hooda told PTI.

Asked if his son Deepender Singh Hooda was also in the running to be the next CM, Hooda said that the Congress high command took decisions regarding such matters on the basis of the views of the MLAs. "As far I am concerned, neither I am tired nor retired," Bhupinder Hooda said.

Pressed if the party will decide the CM face after the polls, he answered in the affirmative and added that when one gets a majority, only then a CM is appointed.

'Congress Will Form Next Govt': Hooda Claims

The former Haryana CM also stated that the Congress is united and will fight the assembly polls unitedly like it did in the Lok Sabha polls. He also expressed confidence that the party would attain a massive mandate in the polls, claiming that all 36 communities have made up their mind to vote in favour of the Congress.

"In all 10 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress vote share has gone up and the BJP's vote share has gone down. In the 90 assembly segments also, the Congress vote share has gone up and that of the BJP's has gone down. People have made up their mind that Congress will form the next government," he said.

On the key issues in the polls, Hooda said: "In 2014, when we left the government, Haryana was number one in per capita income, investments, jobs, sports and in law and order. Now after 9-10 years, it is number one in unemployment and inflation." 

"Law and order in Haryana has collapsed and development is not happening. The stadiums and roads that we built, they were not maintained and have been spoiled," he said, adding that the state has been pushed back in terms of its progress.

On state party leaders undertaking different campaign programmes, Hooda said all leaders are campaigning for the Congress and talking of strengthening the party.

Responding to if BJP's move to appoint Nayab Singh Saini as the chief minister instead of Manohar Lal Khattar earlier this year would affect the assembly polls, Hooda said the saffron party made the decision thinking that the anti-incumbency would be reduced by changing the CM, but "they will keep changing CM faces, people have decided to change them."

Haryana Assembly elections are set to be held this year as the term of the 90-member Haryana Assembly will expire on November 3.

The Congress is eyeing to wrest power from the BJP that has been in power in the state since 2014.