Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal and his Congress predecessor Bhupinder Singh Hooda are locked in a vicious war of words during the course of everyday public meetings, heating up the poll battle in the state.
The war of words, allegations and counter-allegations raged for about a week now between the two prominent leaders of Haryana.
When Manohar Lal at a recent election rally took a jibe at Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s aspirations to become Chief Minister again, Hooda threw a challenge to Manohar Lal asking him to resign if he (Hooda) wins Sonipat Lok Sabha seat in the general elections. This began a vicious circle of exchange of acrimonious barbs between the two leaders, with both exuding confidence of a good showing in the Lok Sabha polls.
Both Manohar Lal and Bhupinder Singh Hooda are star campaigners of their respective parties—BJP and Congress—and are currently busy with whirlwind election campaign covering length and breadth of the state for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Being party’s candidate from Sonipat parliamentary seat, Hooda is also holding public meetings in the constituency on daily basis besides canvassing for his son, Deepender Singh Hooda, three-time MP and Congress’ nominee from Rohtak seat.
Referring to Sonipat and Rohtak Lok Sabha seats, Manohar Lal, a day before said that the time has come for the father-son duo to make an exit. As the polling date nears, the political temperatures will go up due to Modi wave, he said.
The Chief Minister, while talking to the mediapersons attacked Hooda saying that the political heavyweights in elections will face the same defeat as faced by a heavyweight candidate in Jind bypoll.
Manohar Lal, apparently mocked the Congress’ heavyweight candidate Randeep Surjewala’s defeat in Jind bypoll earlier this year.
The party hopeful to make a comeback in the state has fielded heavyweight candidates but I am certain that both father and son will be defeated in the elections, Manohar Lal added.
Stepping up his tirade against the two-time former CM Hooda, Manohar Lal had earlier said that Hooda is day dreaming. Leave aside reaching Chandigarh, the former Chief Minister will not even get a chance to reach Delhi (Parliament), Manohar Lal had said while taking a veiled dig at Hooda’s aspirations to become the Chief Minister again.
Both senior leaders are also hurling personal shots at each other with Manohar Lal firing the first salvo when he called Hooda a ‘Bigdail Jamai’ (spoilt son-in-law) in Sonipat.
Following this, it was the turn of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who in his no-holds-barred attack took a dig at Manohar Lal’s bachelor status.
Expressing displeasure over Manohar Lal’s personal attack against him, Hooda said that the Chief Minister is not married and does not have a family and this is why he does not understand the respect that son-in-laws and other relations have in our culture and society.
I can only tell him to uphold the dignity of the office he holds, Hooda said.
About Manohar Lal’s claims on father-son defeat, Hooda threw a challenge to the Chief Minister saying that let Manohar Lal resign as Chief Minister if his claim is proved wrong.
I am confident of winning Sonipat Lok Sabha seat. The Congress will also win other 9 parliamentary seats in the state, he said.
Responding to Manohar Lal’s comment that the Congress leaders are avoiding to seek votes in the name of their party president Rahul Gandhi, Hooda said, “The BJP came to power in Haryana after making tall promises but they threw their manifesto in the dust-bin as soon as they came into power. The Manohar Lal Khattar Government has done nothing and this is why they have been forced to seek votes in the name of Narendra Modi,”
The personal attacks do not stop here as the two leaders are fast issuing statements and counter-statements, resorting to slinging mud at each other and raking up old controversies every day during canvassing for the high-stake poll battle.
While Manohar Lal is frequently speaking about how his Congress predecessor is embroiled in corruption cases, Hooda, during his election campaign is coming down heavily on the BJP over farmers’ distress and the violence during 2016 Jat quota agitation in Haryana.