Former Haryana CM and veteran Congress chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda on the shift in nationwide politics, the reinvention of the Congress, the Haryana Meeting elections and Vinesh Phogat. The session was moderated by Manoj CG, Chief of Political Bureau
Manoj CG: Within the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress didn’t get any seats in Haryana. This time it’s got 5 of the ten seats. With the Meeting elections only a few months away, how assured are you of a win?
Final time, we misplaced all of the seats and the vote share of the get together was round 28 per cent. This time we received 5 seats and the mixed vote share of the INDIA Alliance has been the best in Haryana at 47.62 per cent. In actual fact, Haryana has the best vote share for the Opposition alliance adopted by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It’s pertinent to keep in mind that although we had solely a 28 per cent vote share in 2019, we (the Congress) received 31 seats within the Meeting elections simply three months later.
The get together had managed to present a troublesome combat, with the margin of distinction with the winner in lots of seats being as little as 4,000 votes. This time, wanting on the Lok Sabha election outcomes, the tendencies and standard temper, it’s apparent that folks have determined to deliver the Congress to energy within the subsequent Meeting elections.
Manoj CG: The BJP modified its chief minister (CM) earlier than the Lok Sabha elections, hoping to deflect native anti-incumbency in opposition to Manohar Lal Khattar by changing him with Nayab Singh Saini. It believes the folks’s anger has subsided. Is {that a} concern?
No, that’s their very own evaluation. They could have modified their CM after sensing anti-incumbency. They could preserve altering the face of their CMs however the folks have already determined to vary them.
Manoj CG: The BJP suffered losses not simply in Haryana however within the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP) through the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) in UP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to some extent in Bihar made beneficial properties. Do you assume the Modi magic is waning?
That the BJP’s recognition is declining has been proved by the Lok Sabha outcomes. In comparison with their tall claims of absolute majority, they received simply 33 seats in UP.
Manoj CG: Do you assume the Congress in Haryana ought to announce a transparent chief ministerial candidate?
No, there’s a sure process within the Congress. It’s primarily based on the suggestions of the profitable MLAs and get together observers. Then, the excessive command takes the choice on a frontrunner who greatest instructions the loyalty of the elected representatives and of the folks. However perceptions play a task in how tickets are distributed. That makes a distinction.
Manoj CG: There’s a notion that if the Congress returns to energy, you’ll develop into the CM. Is that proper?
That’s your notion.
Vikas Pathak: The Congress and the Opposition say that the ruling BJP authorities on the Centre has had an authoritarian angle. Your remark.
Be it the BJP or Congress, nobody ought to perform with political vengeance in a democracy. In Haryana, we now have full religion within the judiciary. When the election outcomes come out, you will notice if there may be political vendetta or not.
Vikas Pathak: Haryana politics appears to be pivoted on the Jat versus non-Jat tussle. The BJP has regarded previous the dominant Jats and believes that Saini, who’s from an Different Backward Class (OBC), will consolidate the non-Jat vote. How appropriate is that this notion and is the Congress addressing it?
The Jat versus non-Jat divide is only a notion, not actuality and positively not derived from any evaluation. When a highway is made or a college is constructed, folks from all communities use them. The Congress has at all times been with the underprivileged, be it farmers, labourers, small merchants, shopkeepers and youth.
Vikas Pathak: A number of Congress leaders left the get together to affix the BJP. Naveen Jindal left on the final minute. How do you plan to deal with this exodus?
The state of affairs is kind of the other. During the last 4 years or so, 42 ex-MLAs, ex-MPs and sitting MPs of the BJP have joined the Congress. Only a few Congress leaders left to affix the BJP. The folks you might be speaking about left the Congress in 2014. A number of of them returned. We additionally received many joinees from the BJP on the final minute. You must ask Naveen Jindal why he left.
Asad Rehman: Within the current Lok Sabha elections, the Congress fought on fewer seats in comparison with the final time to accommodate its allies. Do you assume this can weaken the Congress in future common and state elections?
I believe this occurred when Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister in 1996 and a majority of the seats got to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the UP Meeting elections. After that, the Congress regained these seats with a lot issue. The circumstances have been such. However beneath the INDIA Alliance, there was proportional illustration. The get together with a much bigger vote share received extra seats to contest from. These with a smaller vote share received fewer seats. Our vote share in UP was smaller in 2019. The SP had a much bigger vote share, so that they received extra seats. There needs to be give and soak up an alliance.
Manoj CG: If the Congress excessive command decides to present just a few seats to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) within the Meeting elections, prefer it did with Kurukshetra within the Lok Sabha polls, what will probably be your response?
On the nationwide degree, we now have an alliance with the AAP, SP and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). However there’s no alliance on the state degree. There was no dialogue on that.
Asad Rehman: However not having an alliance on the state degree will pit companions in opposition to one another and will result in slicing of one another’s votes. Gained’t this ship a blended message?
So far as Haryana is anxious, the Lok Sabha outcomes sign that the combat is between the Congress and the BJP. The opposite events that might have reduce the vote have been rejected. Events just like the Indian Nationwide Lok Dal (INLD) and Jannayak Janata Social gathering (JJP) received lower than one per cent of the vote share.
Varinder Bhatia: The state Congress appears to be a divided home with get together common secretary Kumari Selja on a special yatra whereas the state unit, headed by Deepender Singh Hooda, is on a special one. Gained’t this injury your get together’s prospects?
There’s no divided home. These are all cooked up tales. All of us are working for the Congress. There’s no such downside.
Manoj CG: After 2014, the notion is that the Haryana Congress is run by Bhupinder Hooda. First Ashok Tanwar left, adopted by Kuldeep Bishnoi after which Kiran Choudhry and her daughter. Everybody feels that you just run the Haryana Congress, there’s no place for anybody else. Isn’t this an issue?
Folks with necessary posts within the Congress go away the get together for his or her self-interest. Ours is a democratic get together. There may very well be ideological variations, not battle. With out ideological variations, there will be no progress.
Varinder Bhatia: The Haryana CM has been making bulletins for public welfare, be it on reservation for Agniveers, Panchayati Raj establishments, backward lessons and minimum support price for crops. Will this impression the ballot outcomes?
A number of of those bulletins are measures we now have already executed earlier than or promised. For instance, the announcement of a cylinder for Rs 500 was achieved by me three months in the past. They (BJP leaders) are declaring it now. Of their Kaushal Rozgar Nigam, there’s no reservation or advantage. They’re simply extending the contractual workers’ contract with out making them everlasting workers. They’re simply deluding the folks. To this point, OBCs (Different Backward Courses) haven’t received reservation in MBBS faculties or engineering faculties. The Congress has determined to present a minimal help value (MSP) with a authorized assure. They’ve given MSPs for about 14 crops that aren’t even grown in Haryana. These are simply hole bulletins. However folks perceive.
Rishika Singh: In Karnataka, there are talks of reservation for locals within the personal sector. Such a coverage had come up in Haryana just a few years in the past however was cancelled. Do you assume there must be reservations for employment of native residents?
Non-public job reservations haven’t benefitted anybody, not even native residents. They’re hogwash. Relying on the character of service or job, some can get precedence or desire. However you’ll be able to’t make a reservation.
Asad Rehman: The Supreme Courtroom lately gave States the precise to sub-classify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) for quotas. What’s your tackle it?
We imagine in stakeholdership of all sections. Let me remind you that it was my authorities in Haryana that introduced, for the primary time within the nation, reservation for the economically poor among the many higher castes. It was that call that later impressed the Modi authorities to deliver a reservation for the economically backward among the many higher castes (on the nationwide degree). Now we have even pushed for a restrict greater than the present Rs 8 lakh for creamy layer. Those that are socially backward want affirmative motion. That’s why Rahul Gandhiji is asking for a caste census.
Shiny Varghese: What’s your coverage on conserving the Aravallis, given the air pollution and heavy rain in NCR?
There’s a selected coverage and I’m dedicated to preserving the Aravallis. In actual fact, the present authorities tried to present a licence to business however folks resisted. These operations have stopped now.
Manoj CG: What’s the Congress manifesto guaranteeing in Haryana?
Now we have fashioned a manifesto committee however we now have taken 5 or 6 main choices. Just like the outdated age pension of Rs 6,000, making 300 items of electrical energy free and filling greater than two lakh posts. These are all everlasting recruitments however the BJP isn’t filling them up as a result of these contain giving reservations to SC and OBCs. We’ll combat for a authorized assure of MSP for farmers. We’ll declare extra ensures. The Opposition alliance is now sturdy.
Rinku Ghosh: You publicly really useful that Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat be given a Rajya Sabha seat. Her uncle Mahavir Phogat claims that that is politically motivated because you didn’t make such a advice as CM when the opposite Phogat sisters, Geeta and Babita, received medals in 2010. Your feedback.
Initially, they received medals within the Commonwealth Video games, that are very completely different from the Olympics. However that’s not the query. They have been accordingly given jobs within the providers. Certainly one of them was made deputy superintendent of police (DSP) similar to Olympian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt. The opposite was made deputy director within the Haryana sports activities division.
Vinesh’s is a particular case as a result of justice has not been achieved to her. If a wrestler is 50-100 gm chubby, they’re often given round 5 hours (to lose that weight). She fought three back-to-back bouts and was not given time. She had already certified for the silver medal. This doesn’t occur to each sportsman. It’s our responsibility to honour her for her efforts.
Rinku Ghosh: Throughout your tenure, you had promoted Faridabad as a wise metropolis and an investor’s dream. Then Gurugram got here up. Now the infrastructure is crumbling in each these development hubs. How do you intend to improve them?
It’s not solely about Gurugram and Faridabad. Throughout my tenure, Haryana was the primary state within the nation in per capita revenue and per capita funding. Be it legislation and order, employment, sports activities growth or schooling, we have been on the high. Now it’s primary in unemployment and has been lagging behind in each development index for the final decade. That’s as a result of the present authorities hasn’t achieved something. There may be neither funding nor employment alternatives. If the Congress authorities involves energy, Gurugram will develop into top-of-the-line cities on the earth. The state is an schooling hub as a result of we began in 2005 and continued institution-building by our years in governance. Are you able to title a single establishment they constructed within the final 10 years, contemplating that they had promised a medical faculty in each district?
Lalmani Verma: The primary batch of Agniveers are prone to come out in 2026. Assuming you’re within the authorities at the moment, what occurs to them?
There’s a significant protest in opposition to Agniveer and Haryana will endure probably the most. Yearly, at the very least 5,000 folks would join the Military. Now, that determine has fallen. The inhabitants of Haryana is barely two per cent of the nation however each tenth soldier is from Haryana. That is injustice in opposition to Haryana and Punjab. When the INDIA alliance involves energy on the Centre, this can positively be scrapped.
Those that come out in 2026 can avail the ex-servicemen’s reservation that’s already supplied by the Central and state governments. However up to now hardly two to 3 per cent of ex-soldiers have been recruited. Moreover, the place will you reserve jobs for them, in school IV providers? Is that this how we’ll devalue their contribution? Neither the Military, nor the persons are in favour of Agniveer. Beforehand, when somebody was recruited within the forces, they might be celebrated. They might be given schooling, healthcare, pension. Not anymore.
Manoj CG: You have been a part of G-23, a gaggle of senior Congress leaders, who wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi in search of reforms within the get together. It has been 4 years. The Congress has received 99 Lok Sabha seats and Rahul Gandhi’s picture is way improved. How has the get together modified?
There was nothing like G-23, it’s coined by the media. Having mentioned that, we weren’t in opposition to the Congress. I’m a 3rd technology Congressman, my son is fourth technology, my grandfather was a freedom fighter. My father has been member of the Constituent Meeting, constituent legislative Meeting, provincial parliament, Lok Sabha, Punjab Meeting, Haryana Meeting and the Rajya Sabha. Congress is the one get together that has been right here from the liberty wrestle and might carry each part alongside. We needed to strengthen the Congress, nothing extra. After that letter, Mallikarjun Kharge was elected Congress president. Rahulji did a yatra over hundreds of kilometres. He received a lot help. We doubled our seats. The Congress is enhancing.
Deeptiman Tiwary: Amongst Opposition leaders, you have got probably the most circumstances filed by Central businesses like CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and ED (Enforcement Directorate). Your take?
No prices have been framed in opposition to me. I’ve full religion within the judiciary. Time will show the whole lot.
P Vaidyanathan Iyer: The BJP has received lower than a majority of Lok Sabha seats after 10 years. Do you assume the affect of its model of Hindutva goes down?
Utilizing any faith for votes isn’t proper. Folks have began to understand that they’ll get forward by working collectively. Throughout riots in Mewat, so many Hindus got here collectively and stood by Muslims. Individuals are seeing by divisive politics.