Hooda dares Khattar to contest Baroda bypoll

ROHTAK: Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday dared chief minister Manohar lal Khattar to contest the upcoming Baroda assembly byelection, saying he is ready to face him in the fray.

Baroda assembly seat in Sonepat district fell vacant in April following the demise of sitting Congress MLA Sri Krishan Hooda. No poll date has been announced as yet. Interacting with mediapersons in Sonepat’s Gohana, Hooda said “If Khattar contests the by-election, I am ready to contest against him. The CM had stated recently that if the people of Baroda want a stake in the government, they should vote for the BJP-JJP candidate in the upcoming bypoll. Khattar has failed to undertake development work in Baroda constituency in the last six years after assuming office for the first time in 2014.”

He said considering the demand of the family members of the two slain policemen, the government should give them an ex gratia compensation of ₹1 crore each and a government job. Two policemen were murdered while patrolling their area in Gohana in Sonepat, on Monday night.

BJP-JJP WOO VOTERS

The BJP-JJP party leaders have started village-level canvassing to woo voters.

Interacting with villagers in Baroda’s Rabda village, JJP patriarch Ajay Chautala said, “The people of Haryana are happy with the functioning of the BJP-JJP coalition government and they will oust Congress from Baroda.”