Bhupinder Singh Hooda confident of victory; rules out possibility of alliance

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by the drubbing suffered by Congress in the Lok Sabha elections few months back, two-time Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is confident of the party retaining power in the upcoming Assembly polls and rules out scope for any alliance.

Hooda insists that the state had prospered under his 10-year rule and claims that there is no anti-incumbency.

At the same time, the party is planning to offer a number of lucrative sops to the people in its manifesto, including a promise of building two lakh houses in rural areas and 1.5 lakh houses in cities for the economically-weaker sections.

A pledge to set up a university in each district of Haryana is another sop that the Congress is likely to offer.

"We are confident of forming the government for the third time in the state. The atmosphere is very positive for the Congress rule," the Chief Minister told PTI here.

Asked if the party is open to forming an alliance after polls if it is unable to muster a majority in the 90-member Assembly, Hooda was dismissive, saying it is a "hypothetical question" as he was sure of the party's victory in the October 15 elections.

His confidence comes despite his party performing badly in the Lok Sabha polls in May. The party bagged only one out of 10 seats with BJP gaining seven and INLD two seats.

In the previous Lok Sabha, Congress had nine seats. Asked about allegations that his government had favoured Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in land deals, Hooda said the opposition is propagating "lies" and dared them to approach Lokayukta or courts if there was any substance.

"I have not favoured anybody. The state government has no role in any of the land deals. The farmers are selling land directly to builders. The opposition is free to approach Lokayukta or the courts," he said.

Hooda said during the Congress rule in Haryana, the state has become number one in the country in terms of per capita income, per capita investment and resource mobilisation.

"We are far ahead of Gujarat in most of the parameters. We have brought Haryana from 14th position to number one in the 10 years of Congress rule in the state," he said.

On the poll promises, he said, "We will set up a university in each district of the state to make the youth employable."