neither-tired-nor-retired-party-to-decide-cm-face-hooda

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda stated on Tuesday that he is "neither tired nor retired" and is ready to lead the Congress party to victory in the upcoming assembly elections, saying that the Congress high command will decide upon the CM face after polls. 

 

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

 

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".

 

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.

 

Hooda expressed confidence that the party would get a "massive mandate" due to the BJP's poor performance in law and order, development, and unemployment.

 

The Congress is fully prepared for the elections, which are scheduled to take place later this year, Hooda said, citing the party's improved performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

 

The former chief minister also dismissed speculation about his son Deepender Singh Hooda being in the running for the top post, saying the high command decides such matters.

 

"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. 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.