Not a setback, it has exposed rivals: Hooda

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Chandigarh, June 11

Not seeing the Rajya Sabha loss as a personal setback, former Haryana CM and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that he in fact gained from the episode as it exposed his “rivals”.

“My political rivals are guided by self-interest. Independent MLA Balraj Kundu has said legislators were being bought like in a mandi (market),” he said.

Were guided by self-interest

My political rivals are guided by self-interest. Independent MLA Balraj Kundu has said legislators were being bought like they were in a mandi (market). —Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of Opposition

“I have gained from the Rajya Sabha poll. Rivals have been exposed. You will see that Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) will not get a single seat in the 2024 Assembly poll. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) which has one MLA (Abhay Chautala) will be nowhere,” he added.

Targeting Abhay further, Hooda said during the byelection in Ellenabad, he used to ask for votes in the name of farmers against the BJP and even used to say that the JJP was the most corrupt party. “But now, he sided with them. In politics, you can’t take decisions on whims but have to consider public interest.”

Congress candidate Ajay Maken lost to Independent Kartikeya Sharma in the wee hours today after counting got delayed for more than seven hours over the demand of cancellation of two Congress votes.

Sharma was backed by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), JJP, INLD, Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) and Independents.

“We had 31 votes at the beginning. I was sure of getting 30 votes as sometimes one vote becomes invalid due to wrong marking. Kuldeep Bishnoi (Adampur MLA) cross-voted. One vote became invalid though I don’t know whether it was a deliberate act or unintentional. There must be having some vested interests. The Independent candidate won only after the transfer of votes,” said Hooda.

He added that Maken could file an election petition.

The Rajya Sabha poll was the first election after the change of guard in the state as Hooda’s confidant Udai Bhan had replaced Kumari Selja in April.

On the Rajya Sabha poll being compared to a battle between Hooda and CM Manohar Lal Khattar, he said, “Ajay Maken was sent by Sonia Gandhi. He was not my candidate. Had the BJP fielded its own candidate for the second seat, I would have accepted it as a contest between me and Khattar.”

On action against Kuldeep Bishnoi, he said the party would decide about it. But he expressed ignorance about whose vote was declared invalid, leading to the defeat of the party candidate.