Haryana Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday urged all opposition parties to join hands to form the next government in Haryana against the “arrogant” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose chief minister was Manohar Lal Khattar.
According to the Election Commission, the BJP was leading in 36 constituencies and the Congress in 35 seats. If the trends hold, the 90-member Haryana assembly is headed towards a hung verdict.
Speaking to reporters at his house in Rohtak city, Hooda said that all opposition parties should unite against the BJP and form the state government. “It is too early to say who will lead the next government. But I am confident that the next government (in Haryana) will not be of the BJP,” he said.
Hooda has called all the newly elected party legislators for a meeting in Delhi, where the party high command will be meeting to discuss the next course of action.
On whether the Congress will speak in support of Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), the former CM said “nothing can be ruled out”. The JJP, which could prove to be a kingmaker in this election, was ahead in 10 seats as of 1.30pm on Thursday.
Hooda will reach Delhi on Thursday evening and hold meetings with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and top party leaders to strategise on forming the government in the state, a senior party leader who wished to remain anonymous said.
Gandhi has already spoken with Hooda and given him the go-ahead to work towards forming the government, the party leader quoted above said.
“Former Haryana CM Hooda is already in touch with JJP and Independents,” another party leader believed to be a close aide of Hooda said.
After about half of the votes were counted in Haryana, the BJP was ahead in 36 seats, the Congress in 35 and JJP in 10. Independents are ahead in six, the BSP in one and the INLD in two.
Amid reports of infighting just weeks before the election, the Congress replaced Ashok Tanwar and named Kumari Selja as the chief of its state unit, and appointed Hooda chairperson of the election management committee and a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.
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