I am a candidate for CM`s post: Hooda

Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda talks of his developmental work in an interview with Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while talking to Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi on Kahiye Janaab, shares his views on the recently concluded polls in his state, the lack of opposition and various development works carried out by his government.

Q: The last time elections were fought on a development plank in this country was when the NDA coined the misleading term India Shining. You too have also talked of development work done by your government while campaigning… A: You can see it for yourself. The results of the recent Lok Sabha elections, where we won 9 out of the 10 seats in the state, clearly show that there has been development and people have appreciated it. The UPA government’s performance under the able leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi and the performance of Haryana government is the reason behind this outstanding performance. I belong to a political family but this is the first time that I have seen people vote for progress. Q: You’re saying that provision of basic amenities such as electricity, good roads and drinking water is the major factor that got you votes. Do you think it is a scenario in just Haryana or in the entire country? A: The results of the recent Lok Sabha elections suggest that it is the case throughout the country. Q: In Maharashtra, for example, elections have been fought more on family name rather than development. Why do you think there is this difference? A: In Maharashtra too, Congress has done a lot of work for the people and we are getting good response from the people there as well. Q: But why do you think there is such basic difference in the issues? A: You are talking about opposition. It happens everywhere. Even in Haryana, there have been instances when alliances have formed and broken. All these alliances were based on personal gains and that’s why failed to last long. But the Congress-NCP alliance in Maharshtra is based on principles. Q: But you have preponed the elections in Haryana by almost eight months. This is a definite sign of confidence. Do you think this confidence is because there is no opposition at all in your state? A: It would not be fair to say that. The opposition is extremely important for the proper functioning of a government. I want that there should be an opposition and if there is none then we will play that role ourselves to provide platform to people’s voice. Before the Congress came to power in Haryana, there was lawlessness and a total lack of administration in the state. People made the culprits pay for it. Q: You say that the Haryana elections are being fought on development plank. But if we look at the larger picture, there is also a lot of family feud in the background. There is Om Prakash Chautala on one hand and Kuldeep Bishnoi, who has left your party, on the other. Has politics become a family affair? A: Our leader is Sonia Gandhi. People believe in the Congress party and its ideologies. We believe in working for the common man. The party’s policy states that whoever will work for the people, will get promoted by the party irrespective of whether he or she is from a political family or not. Q: Why do you think there has been so much political instability in Haryana? A: It is because of the past governments who believed in ruling rather than working for the people. The state’s domestic product during the Congress party’s tenure has grown appreciably and it is higher than even Punjab’s and Haryana’s at present. Q: Talking of economy, there was a huge SEZ planned in Haryana but the UPA government, during its first tenure, put a cap on it. Do you think it was because it would have created a controversy? A: There was no controversy. The cap was not just in Haryana but a part of the overall capping policy and also because of the global meltdown. Now that the situation has improved, the work will start soon. Haryana is primarily an agricultural state but that alone cannot sustain the economy. If we have to eradicate unemployment, then SEZ is a way forward. Q: There is a huge electricity problem in Haryana, even in Gurgaon, which is considered to be the glamour capital of the state. A: The situation is not as bad as the media makes it sound. There is a problem but it has been there for ages. Haryana was formed 40 years before we took over in 2005. I am sorry to say that there has been just one power plant installed since then. The gap between demand and supply is huge. On the other hand, we have installed 4 plants during our tenure. Q: There were a number of CM candidates before the last elections in the state. What is the secret behind your success? A: Before the 2005 elections, when we were in the opposition, I was the party president. It was a party decision to make me the CM. I still say I am not a claimant for the post of CM but just a candidate. Q: Do you see your son Deepender as the future CM of Haryana? A: It depends on how well he works and also what decision the party takes. Adaptation: Vaibhav Arora