E-Paper
Hooda dares Khattar to contest Baroda bypoll
Baroda assembly seat in Sonepat district fell vacant in April following the demise of sitting Congress MLA Sri Krishan Hooda
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 that he wants Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to contest the ensuing Baroda byelection to check the progress of his coalition government.
“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”, Hooda said adding that the state debt increased from ₹60,000 crore to ₹2 lakh crore during the BJP government in Haryana.
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 leaders woo voters
The BJP and its coalition partner the Jannayak Janata party leaders have started village-level canvassing to woo voters. A day after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited few villages of Baroda constituency, the JJP patriarch Ajay Chautala visited four villages and interacted with party workers. Khattar had interacted with the people on Saturday and asked them to elect his nominee in the upcoming byelection. He also directed wrestler-turned BJP leader Yogeshwar Dutt, who last contested the 2019 assembly election from Baroda to send him a list of development works.
Interacting with villagers in Baroda’s Rabda village, Chautala said that the BJP- JJP will field an alliance candidate to take on Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal.
“This seat has remained our stronghold and the Congress remained successful in Baroda since 2009 assembly polls due to Sri Krishan Hooda’s popularity. I have been interacting with party workers to know their well being amid coronavirus crisis. The people of Haryana are happy with the functioning of the BJP-JJP coalition government and they will oust Congress from Baroda,” said Ajay Chautala.
