Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Government of failing on all fronts during its tenure, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that unemployment increased in the State in the last 10 years while the law and order situation also deteriorated. He says Congress' performance in the Lok Sabha polls in the State will have an impact on the Vidhan Sabha elections. Congress secured 43.67 per cent votes in Parliamentary election, recording around 15 per cent increase in its vote share. This is a clear indication that there is a wave blowing in favour of the Congress and people of Haryana have made up their mind to bring the Congress to power in the Assembly polls, he adds Congress will secure an absolute majority in the Assembly election, he emphasized.

The Senior Congress leader said that farmers' plight, Agnipath, unemployment, law and order, and inflation were key issues which the ruling BJP failed to address. BJP will be "wiped out" in the south, halved in the north. Additionally, the people have rejected the vote ‘katu' (vote cutters) outfits –Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Lok Sabha election and will do the same in the Assembly election. It is going to be a direct fight between the Congress and BJP, he added.

In an interview with ‘The Pioneer’, Hooda talks about Congress Party’s preparedness and strategy for the Haryana Assembly election; State’s major issues; Party’s campaign and manifesto, Party’s Chief Ministerial face, among others.

Over 2500 aspirants have applied for Congress ticket for the 90-member Haryana Assembly polls. What is Congress' selection criteria for the candidates?

It is true that a large number of people have applied for Congress tickets for the Assembly election while in other parties, there are no ticket seekers. Congress Party has performed well in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election and its performance in the Lok Sabha polls will have an impact on the Vidhan Sabha elections. Party will give tickets to loyal, dedicated and winning candidates. Only one person will get a ticket on one Assembly seat and remaining aspirants will work to make the Party's candidate win. I want to assure every ticket aspirant and party workers that respect will be given to everyone after the formation of the Congress government. Winning Ability and suitability will be the criteria while selecting the candidates. Additionally, as the caste and community factor has an overwhelming influence in electoral politics, candidates belonging to different social groups will be considered, depending upon the merit, suitability and dominance of a particular class in those constituencies.

BJP claims to bring transparency in governance, Government Jobs during its 10 year tenure. Your comment

Farmers' plight, Agnipath, unemployment, law and order, and inflation were key issues which the ruling BJP failed to address. Unemployment in Haryana has recorded highest during BJP’s tenure. Sports players’ concerns were not addressed. The BJP Government has proved to be a failure on every front as every section of society was unhappy with the Government. BJP -led Government’s portals are “permanent pareshan patra" and these portals will be thrown after the formation of Congress government. The BJP Government had curtailed panchayats rights by implementing systems like e-tendering, interference of MLAs and right to recall.

When would Congress declare its election manifesto?

Soon, the party's manifesto will be released and it will have a complete roadmap of the work of the government for five years. One lakh jobs will be given to youths within a year after the party forms the government. We will mount pressure on the Centre to give a legal guarantee of minimum support price on all crops as per the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation. We will give Rs 6,000 per month pension to elderly people, restoration of old pension schemes, 2 lakh vacant government posts will be filled, gas cylinders at Rs 500 each and 300 units of free electricity once we return to power,

There is a talk of factionalism in Haryana Congress. Has Central leadership chalked out a plan to address it?

There is no factionalism in the party. There could be differences of opinion but no dissension. The Congress party is fully prepared for the Assembly election. It was a good result in Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls. People have made up their minds and a Congress Government will be formed after the poll. There is no division within the Congress and it is the BJP that is a divided house. You saw the likes of Anil Vij were not taken in the recent poll committee of the BJP. There is no factionalism in Congress. The party is united and will fight the assembly polls unitedly, like it did in the Lok Sabha polls.

What are the main issues in this Assembly election?

There are a lot of key issues in this poll. 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 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 were not maintained and have been spoiled. The BJP Government has pushed back on the scale of progress in 10 years.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, Congress party’s vote share increased by about 15 per cent. How many seats would Congress get in the Vidhan Sabha election?

In the Lok Sabha polls, the party's vote share was the highest in Haryana. 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. As per available report, Congress secured 43.67 per cent votes, recording around 15 per cent increase in its vote share when compared with the last Lok Sabha poll. The BJP got 46.11 per cent of the votes, a drop of around 12 per cent. In the Assembly election, Congress would get a "massive mandate" because all 36 communities have made up their mind in favour of the Congress. People of the State had made up their mind to oust the BJP and bring a Congress government. As far as the election campaign is concerned, all leaders are campaigning for the Congress and talking of strengthening the party.
 
Citing long holidays, BJP and INLD have separately written to the Election Commission to postpone the October 1 Assembly polls. According to these two parties, holidays before and after the election date could lead to lower voter turnout. What would you say?

No excuse will work. People of Haryana have made up their mind for change. They do not want BJP to rule for a single day. It has been more than a week since the EC announced the poll date. The BJP wants the polls to be deferred as it has accepted defeat. Polls should be held according to the date fixed by the EC. People of Haryana don’t want to see the BJP government in power even for a day. The people of Haryana are mature. They will come out in large numbers on voting day.

INLD and BSP are fighting the Assembly election together. Your comment

It is clear from Lok Sabha elections that the fight is between the BJP and the Congress in Haryana. Nobody will vote for vote-cutters. INLD and BSP have performed poorly in the Lok Sabha election. You talked of the JJP, they did not even get one per cent vote. So the fight is between the Congress and the BJP.

From BJP, Nayab Singh Saini is the CM face. Who is the CM face from Congress? 

BJP thought that anti-incumbency will be reduced by changing the CM. As far as Haryana is concerned, BJP will keep changing CM faces, and people have decided to change them. The Congress party has laid down a process which it follows in such matters. Elections happen, MLAs are elected, observers are sent and they take their view, and then the high command decides who will be CM. When one gets a majority, only then a CM is appointed. As far I am concerned, neither I am tired nor retired.