Baroda bypoll test of govt’s performance, says Hooda

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, October 1

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has dubbed the Baroda byelection as a referendum on the performance of the BJP-JJP government in the state.

“The byelection will decide the future of the state politics,” he told the media in Gohana on Thursday, sounding confident of the Congress adding another seat to its kitty of 31 segments.

The former Chief Minister said an election to a single constituency could oust a party from power, citing the example of the Meham election of 1991.

In the 1990 bypoll to the Meham segment in Rohtak district, a shootout took place when villagers tried to resist booth capturing, leading to the death of eight persons. The poll-related violence created such a political storm that Om Prakash Chautala had to quit as Chief Minister. A repoll next year saw the Congress winning the seat.

Hooda hit out at the development claims of the state government. “In the past five years, the Baroda constituency was never in the scheme of things of the ruling dispensation. Now, it is announcing projects only to gain votes,” he said.

In reference to the three controversial farm laws, the Congress leader termed the coalition as “anti-farmer”. “The Congress will not allow anti-farmer laws to be implemented in Haryana till the time the BJP ensures that the MSP regime will remain in place.

Sharing a draft of the Contract Farming Act, 2007, introduced during his tenure, Hooda said it was clearly mentioned in the Act that a private company and a farmer would enter into a contract on the assurance that the produce would be bought at the MSP.

“If the contract farming system implemented in 2007 is applicable in the state, the new laws of the Centre can’t be implemented in Haryana,” he added.

‘Vij my friend, can’t comment’

On Home Minister Anil Vij’s statement that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would not be allowed to enter Haryana during his tractor rally against the three farm laws, Hooda said the minister’s value in his own government was well known. “He demanded an SIT in the liquor scam, but a Special Enquiry Team (SET) was formed instead.” In same breath, Hooda said, “He (Vij) is my friend. So I don’t want to comment on his statement.”