"Neither Tired Nor Retired": Bhupinder Hooda On Next Haryana Chief Minister

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday asserted that he is "neither tired, nor retired" but said the Congress high command will take a call on who would be the chief minister after getting a majority in the assembly elections.

In an interview with PTI, Mr Hooda said the contest in the polls scheduled to take place later this year is between the BJP and the Congress, and the Jannayak Janta Party as well as the INLD-BSP alliance will be relegated to just being "vote-cutters".

Mr Hooda, 76, also dismissed talk of factionalism in the party's Haryana unit, asserting that "matbhed hote hain...manbhed nahi hain (there could be difference of opinion... but no dissension)."

"The Congress is fully prepared. It was a good result in Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls. We are ready, they can declare the elections whenever they want. People have made up their minds and a Congress government will be formed after the polls," the two-time chief minister and the current Leader of Opposition in the assembly said.

Asked if the Congress should declare a chief ministerial face this time, Mr Hooda said the party has a laid down a process which it follows in such matters.

"Elections happen, MLAs are elected, observers are sent and they take their view, and then the high command decides who will be CM," Hooda told PTI.

Asked if his son Deepender Singh Hooda was also in the running to be the next chief minister, the former chief minister said the high command decides such matters, keeping in mind the views of the MLAs "As far I am concerned, neither I am tired nor retired," Bhupinder Hooda said.

Pressed if the party will decide the chief ministerial face after the polls, he answered in the affirmative and added that "when one gets a majority, only then a CM is appointed".

Hooda also rejected talk of factionalism in the party, saying there are no divisions within the Congress and it was the BJP that is a divided house.

"You saw the likes of Anil Vij were not taken in the recent poll committee of the BJP. There is no factionalism in our party. 'Matbhed hote hain, swabhavik hai, lekin manbhed nahi hain,'" he said.

Mr Hooda said the party is united and will fight the assembly polls unitedly. "Like it did in the Lok Sabha polls".

Asked what are the key issues in the polls, he said, "In 2014, when we left the government, Haryana was number one in per capita income, investments, jobs, sports and in law and order. Now after 9-10 years, it is number one in unemployment and inflation."

"Law and order in Haryana has collapsed and development is not happening. The stadiums and roads that we built, they were not maintained and have been spoiled," Mr Hooda said, adding that the state has been pushed back on the scale of progress.

On state party leaders undertaking different campaign programmes, Mr Hooda said all leaders are campaigning for the Congress and talking of strengthening the party Asked about the JJP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)-BSP alliance, Mr Hooda said it is clear from Lok Sabha elections that as far as Haryana is concerned, the fight is between the BJP and the Congress.

"Nobody will vote for vote-cutters. You talked of the JJP, they did not even get one per cent vote. So fight is between the Congress and the BJP," he said.

Mr Hooda expressed confidence that the party would get a "massive mandate" in the polls "because all 36 communities have made up their mind in favour of the Congress." In the Lok Sabha polls, the party's vote share was the highest in Haryana, he said. 

"In all 10 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress vote share has gone up and the BJP's vote share has gone down. In the 90 assembly segments also, the Congress vote share has gone up and that of the BJP's has gone down. People have made up their mind that Congress will form the next government," he said.

On whether the BJP making Nayab Singh Saini the chief minister in place of Manohar Lal Khattar earlier this year would impact the assembly polls, Mr Hooda said the BJP thought that anti-incumbency will be reduced by changing the CM but as far as Haryana is concerned, "they will keep changing CM faces, people have decided to change them".

Asked about wrestler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Olympics and whether he believes a "political conspiracy" had denied her the glory, Mr Hooda said, "I had spoken about the need for an inquiry. I can't say it is a political conspiracy but she did not get the required support there.

"She fought three bouts back-to-back..and probably did not get enough time to cut the required weight. As far as Haryana and the country are concerned, she should get the same honour that a gold medallist should get," he asserted.

On his appeal for a Rajya Sabha seat for Ms Phogat, Mr Hooda said she should be given a seat in the Upper House because she has gone through a lot and a "healing touch" is required.

"She should be encouraged so that future athletes are also encouraged," Mr Hooda said. 

All parties should together send Ms Phogat to Rajya Sabha, he said, adding that the President could also nominate her.

He also demanded that in view of Haryana's good showing on the sports field it should be given special assistance. "Our government made several stadiums, made a policy and created a conducive atmosphere for sports," he said.

Elections are set to take place in the state this year with term of the 90-member Haryana Assembly due to expire on November 3. The Congress is looking to wrest power from the BJP that has been in government since 2014.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)