Hooda slams BJP, launches Congress manifesto for municipal elections
With an eye on reclaiming its lost ground in the state, the Haryana Congress today launched its civic poll manifesto under the slogan “Green Cities, Clean Cities”. Senior party leaders, led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, unveiled the manifesto in Gurugram, positioning it as a roadmap to restore the state’s civic infrastructure and counter the BJP’s governance.
Key promises
Encroachment-free, well-lit green belts
Corruption-free municipal agencies
Pollution-free Haryana
24x7 CCTV surveillance in public spaces
Garbage-free state
Waterlogging-free zones
Pothole-free roads
Clean drinking water for all
Hygienic public toilets
Quick resolution of public complaints
Hooda accused the ruling BJP of failing to address basic civic needs, saying the so-called “double-engine government” had only worsened the state’s sanitation, sewage, drinking water and road conditions. “The face of Haryana’s development, Gurugram, has now become a face of civic despair. We cannot allow the BJP to turn this into a triple-engine disaster,” Hooda said.
Despite internal differences within the Congress, senior leaders appeared united at the event. Hooda was joined on stage by Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan, former ministers Capt Ajay Singh Yadav and Geeta Bhukkal, as well as party incharge Karan Dalal. The leaders stressed that internal debates would not hinder the party’s commitment to winning the civic elections.
Bhan took aim at the BJP’s governance, dismissing their promises as “jumlas” and calling the Congress manifesto a realistic and people-centric document. “We understand what the people want and our manifesto reflects their needs. Unlike the BJP, which thrives on fake promises, we pledge to restore Haryana’s lost civic grandeur,” Bhan said.
He criticised the BJP’s decade-long governance, asserting that their much-touted “100-day challenge” to improve civic infrastructure had also failed. “If they can’t bring change in 100 days, how can they be trusted with an entire term? People can no longer be fooled,” he added.
The Congress manifesto focuses on pollution control, corruption-free municipal agencies, improved sanitation and road infrastructure while promising clean drinking water and better public amenities across the state.
