Hooda admits to lapses in distribution of tickets during assembly elections
CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday admitted that there were lapses in the distribution of Congress tickets during the assembly elections.
At a press briefing, Hooda, who is now the leader of opposition in the Haryana assembly, said an inordinate delay by the Congress high command in making organisational changes, including appointing him as the chairman of the election management committee, was one of the reasons behind the party’s poor performance.
Whether the Congress will also conduct a post-poll review of the party’s show, Hooda said: “Why should we do a review of our performance? We have improved from 15 seats in 2014 polls to 31 this time.”
To a question whether he was satisfied with the party’s performance in the polls, the Congress leader said he was happy even when the party got 15 seats in 2014. “We respect people’s mandate,’’ he said.
The leader of the opposition said the BJP-JJP government was dysfunctional and it showed in their inability to firm up the common minimum programme even a month after it took over the reins of the state.
The Congress leader said both the BJP and its post poll ally, the JJP should tell people whether they will fight the next assembly polls together. The JJP which won 10 seats in the assembly polls had lend its support to the BJP which fell short of a simple majority, to form the government.
“The JJP had contested the assembly polls against the BJP. They have betrayed people’s mandate by joining hands with the BJP,’’ Hooda said.
The former chief minister said BJP’s below par performance was it did not fulfill the promises made to the people at the time of 2014 assembly polls, the leader of the opposition in Haryana assembly said.
Hooda alleged there fictitious paddy in the state was a matter of grave concern and warranted a CBI probe.
“It is surprising that while the stocks of rice millers were being checked the agriculture minister, JP Dalal found no scam and gave a clean chit,” he said.