A Rs.300 crore ‘Thank You’ from Hooda! (Haryana Newsletter)
December 18th, 2011 - 2:51 pm ICT by IANSChandigarh, Dec 18 (IANS) It could easily qualify as the biggest ‘thank you’ ever made. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda did that last week when he doled out a Rs.300-crore largesse to the people of the Ratia assembly constituency in Haryana for having elected a Congress legislator in a by-election earlier this month.
The amount announced by Hooda includes Rs.20 crore for development of villages, Rs.35 crore for construction of godowns and a new grain market in an area of 35 acres, Rs.5 crore for beautification of Ratia town, Rs.17 crore to set up a 60-bed hospital and other health centres and Rs.14 crore for promotion of education, among other things.
After the Congress got a clear victory, with its candidate Jarnail Singh winning the Ratia seat, it immediately organised a ‘dhanyavaad’ (thanksgiving) rally Dec 10. There Hooda told the gathering, “We did not come here to win the election, we came here to win the hearts of people. The Ratia result has given way to new politics in Haryana.”
But while he showered government funds on Ratia, nothing was given to the Adampur constituency, where the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) candidate won the bypoll and the Congress lost.
The same was true of the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency, where again HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi won in a fierce electoral battle and the Congress not only finished a poor third but its candidate and former MP Jai Prakash even lost his security deposit.
“He is the chief minister of the state and not of one assembly seat. He should treat all seats equally. Earlier, his interest was only in Kiloi (Hooda’s assembly seat) and Rohtak (Hooda’s home district),” said opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secretary general Ajay Singh Chautala.
“By doing so (giving the largesse to Ratia), Hooda is clearly discriminating. If his party wins a by-election, public funds will go to the constituency. But if it loses, as has happened in Adampur and Hisar, nothing will be done,” a senior HJC leader told IANS.
Hooda’s government is in its second continuous term in the state. He first became chief minister in March 2005. The Congress came back to power in October-November 2009 with the support of independents and HJC defectors.
(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)
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- After Hisar defeat, uphill task for Hooda in by-polls - Nov 07, 2011
- In Hisar, roadroller almost crushed Bishnoi's tractor - Nov 06, 2011
- Nearly 79 percent polling in Haryana bypolls - Nov 30, 2011
- Bypolls for two Haryana assembly seats Nov 30 - Nov 01, 2011
- After 29 years, Congress wins Ratia seat - Dec 04, 2011
- Haryana bypolls: HJC-BJP wins Adampur, Congress wrests Ratia - Dec 04, 2011
- All Adampur bypoll candidates get notices - Nov 25, 2011
- All Adampur bypoll candidates get notices - Nov 25, 2011
- Millions vote in by-polls in six states (Roundup) - Nov 30, 2011
- Namesakes seek to confuse pitch in Haryana by-poll - Oct 05, 2011
- Congress wins two bypolls, BJP drubbed in Karnataka (Roundup) - Dec 04, 2011
- Bishnoi resigns from Haryana assembly - Oct 24, 2011
- Hisar bypoll: Hooda has lot at stake - Sep 25, 2011
Tags: ajay singh, assembly seat, beautification, chautala, chief minister, electoral battle, government funds, grain market, health centres, hisar, hjc, inld, jai, largesse, legislator, Lok Sabha, prakash, rohtak, sabha constituency, security deposit