Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda filed his nomination for the Haryana Assembly polls from his traditional stronghold Garhi Sampla Kiloi seat in Rohtak on Wednesday and sought people's support in ousting the BJP from power in the "do or die battle". Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, former state home minister Anil Vij, BJP leader O P Dhankar, Congress' Brijendra Singh and the AAP's Anurag Dhanda were among other candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday.
Thursday is the last day of filing of nominations. Voting for the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 5 and votes will be counted on October 8.
Bhupinder Hooda, a former chief minister, was accompanied by his wife Asha Hooda, son Deepender Hooda and daughter-in-law Sweta Hooda during nomination filing. A "havan" was performed before Hooda filed his papers.
Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta filed his papers from the Panchkula assembly segment. He was accompanied by party leader and Haryana affairs co-incharge Biplab Kumar Deb. Gupta is seeking re-election from Panchkula.
Vij filed papers from Ambala Cantt, Congress leader Brijendra Singh from Uchana Kalan, BJP's O P Dhankar from Badli and J P Dalal from Loharu.
BJP's Harvinder Kalyan filed his papers from the Gharaunda seat. He was accompanied by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Another BJP nominee Arti Rao filed her nomination from the Ateli seat, accompanied by her father and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh.
Congress Vardhan Yadav filed his nomination from the Badshahpur seat, Congress Mohit Grover from Gurgaon seat, BJP's Tejpal Tawar from Sohna, BJP's Bimla Chaudhary from Pataudi, Kumudni Jhangu Independent from Badshahpur and Sundar Bhadna Independent from Sohna and others.
AAP leader Anurag Dhanda filed his papers from the Kalayat seat. He was accompanied by the party's senior leader Manish Sisodia. Among other candidates, BJP nominee Shakti Rani Sharma filed her papers from the Kalka seat.
Addressing a gathering after filing his nomination, Bhupinder Hooda lashed out at the BJP government in Haryana, alleging the state has become "number one" in unemployment and inflation in the last 10 years.
"You gave me a chance. Whatever I am today, it is due to you and your blessings. I got a chance to serve Haryana from 2005-2014," he told the people.The former chief minister said that when the Congress was in power in Haryana, it was "number one" in per capita income, per capita investment, providing jobs, law and order situation and sports activities in the country.
"After 10 years, Haryana today is number one in unemployment and inflation while crime has also increased," he alleged.
Hooda said the Congress will come out with an election manifesto soon that will include raising old-age pension to Rs 6,000, providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500 and 300 units of free electricity.
"I want to fight a battle not for myself but for you and want to make the state number one once again," the senior Congress leader told the gathering.
He said the electoral contest in Haryana is between the Congress and the BJP, and asked people to be cautious of "vote katau" (vote cutters). "Five years ago, a 'vote cutter' took 10 seats. This time, not even a single vote is to be wasted," Hooda said. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the Jannayak Janta Party got 10 seats and went to ally with the BJP and form government.
"Again the same conspiracy is being hatched. Earlier, there was one and now there is another one which is the BJP's B-team. So beware of these vote cutters," the former chief minister said.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which was in talks with the Congress for a pre-poll alliance in Haryana, has so far fielded 61 candidates for the 90-member assembly. Hooda termed the elections a "do or die battle" and said, "Not just Garhi Sampla Kiloi, you have to take the fight everywhere."
