A day after BJP chief Amit Shah sounded the poll budge in Haryana for 2019 elections, the Congress is also set to kick off its ‘Mission 2019’ aimed at making a comeback in the state.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda despite having a fractured left ankle, announced to go ahead with his scheduled ‘Jankranti Yatra’ on February 25 while Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar has announced to start cycle yatra from March 5 in the state.
Hooda on Friday said that keeping in view the worsening situation in Haryana with deteriorating law and order and sufferings of farmers and traders, he has decided to kick off his ‘Rath Yatra’ named ‘Jankranti Yatra’ as per its schedule on February 25 from Hodal in Palwal.
The announcement came a day after BJP national president Amit Shah addressed a ‘Yuva Hunkar Rally' at Jind, sounding the poll bugle for 2019 general elections and also, attacked former CM Hooda for indulging in corruption during his tenure in the state.
Hooda’s decision to go ahead with ‘Jankranti Yatra’ also comes close on the heels of his detractor Ashok Tanwar announcement earlier on Friday to launch ‘Haryana Bachao, Parivartan lao’ cycle rally on March 5 to cover all 90 assembly constituencies of the state.
Tanwar, a dalit leader, and Hooda, an upper caste Jat, do not see eye to eye and have been at loggerheads since 2014 polls. While the Hooda faction had been trying to dislodge Tanwar from party’s top post, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had recently asked Tanwar to stay put, dashing the hopes of a change of guard in the state.
Announcing to go ahead with his ‘Jankranti Yatra’, the two-time former Chief Minister Hooda on Friday said that his yatra will cover all 90 assembly constituencies of the state.
He reiterated that the key objectives of the yatra will be brotherhood and ousting the BJP led State Government in Haryana.
Hooda had slipped during a public function on Monday, fracturing his left ankle and was advised by the doctors to take four weeks rest. Following this, party senior leaders had earlier announced that his yatra will now begin in March instead of February 25.
On the other hand, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, while talking to the mediapersons on Friday here said, “I will begin ‘Haryana Bacho, Parivartan lao’ cycle rally from Kalka on March 5.
During the yatra, all 90 assembly constituencies will be covered in six to seven phases, he said.
The cycle yatra would be conducted to highlight failure of the BJP government on different fronts and to reach out to the farmers, labourers, traders and other sections of the society, suffering under the BJP regime, said he.
When asked about the participation of Haryana MlAs in the cycle yatra, Tanwar said that all MlAs will be invited and those who wants to strengthen the party and bring change in Haryana will join the yatra.
12 party MlAs, owing allegiance to Hooda, have already announced to join Hooda’s Rath Yatra and will skip the cycle yatra to be conducted by Tanwar.