Congress should give the CM's post to young Deepender Hooda this time: Vardhan Yadav

Badshahpur (Haryana): Young Congress candidate from Badshahpur Vardhan Yadav is hopeful that the party high command will consider a Member of Parliament (MP) from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda for the chief minister's post in view of his popularity, connect with the masses and commitment to Haryana. 

In an interview with NewsDrum, Yadav, 33, said development has taken a backseat during the ten years of the BJP government as a result of which the people of Haryana have decided to bring back the Congress with a thumping majority. 

Excerpts

What is going to happen on October 8 (counting day)? 

I will sum up what is going to happen on October 8 by quoting a few lines from a poem by noted poet and academician Shiv Mangal Singh Suman often recited by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee whom I admired for his brilliant persona and character. 'क्या हार में क्या जीत में किंचित नहीं भयभीत मैं संधर्ष पथ पर जो मिले यह भी सही वह भी सही।' 

But what are the trends suggesting?

The anti-people policies of the BJP government in Haryana in the past ten years have angered the people. It's decisions to seek family identification documents, property ID, family ID, etc have confused and troubled the common people. The state government has reduced the old age pension and also for the poor, discarded ration cards and BPL cards. Due to all these actions, the people of Haryana have decided to throw out the BJP government and bring back the Congress with a thumping majority. 

As we gather from your speeches, you have drafted a manifesto, a roadmap for your Badshahpur constituency once you are elected. What are the changes you plan to bring to your constituency? 

Badshahpur is an influential constituency. It is not only the largest constituency in Haryana but also generates the highest revenue and tax collections in the entire state. Despite that, we don't have good avenues for education and healthcare facilities. 

In rural areas, you will still find there are schools only till class 8, every class has 70-80 students, and there are no labs, no technology and no computers in schools. Our first initiative would be to work toward building school infrastructure. We need good schools, good universities and good education and along with that better employment opportunities for the youth in our rural areas. 

Our second priority is to develop healthcare infrastructure. Today, people from across the world, including those from developed countries, come to Gurgaon (Gurugram) to get treatment. You will see the hospitals there are actually five-star hotels. But these hospitals are not accessible to common people, farmers' and the lower middle class. If you go to these hospitals, you will have to pay lakhs and lakhs of rupees for even minor ailments. Good health is very important. We need to improve the health infrastructure in Badshahpur, which is adjoining Gurgaon, and upgrade government hospitals so that the common people get world-class medical services. 

Also, we need to provide good sports infrastructure in the constituency. As you know, Haryana is known for jawan (soldiers), kisan (farmers) and khiladi (sportspersons). 

The BJP government brought the Agnipath scheme, replacing the 15 years of permanent service in the armed forces with four years of temporary service for Agniveers and these young people will retire in four years. 

All of you know, what they have done with farmers, as many as 750 farmers died in the agitation over three black farm laws and how they insulted our sportspersons, especially our sisters, by dragging them on the roads. It is important to upgrade the basic infrastructure and restore the glory and respect of Haryana. 

Why hasn't Badshahpur witnessed the development that Gurgaon has undergone in the past many years? 

This is because the people have looted this area all these years. They made the plans and schemes with business houses and industrialists and with officials. No one made any effort to develop through political means. Everyone came here to do business and left after doing that. But this time, Badshahpur has got a politician and a sevak who would absolutely work for the benefit of the people. 

Manohar Lal Khattar occupied the chief minister's post for nine and a half years and Nayab Singh Saini for six months. Did you witness any change or do you think Haryana was further pushed into chaos and confusion? 

Nayab Singh Saini ji was given the opportunity to bear the brunt and face the wrath of the people's anger over Khattar ji's anti-people policies during his tenure of nine and a half years. He was given the chair only to take the blame for the BJP's ignominious and humiliating defeat in the coming elections. Thus Khattar ji will not be held responsible for 10-12 seats the BJP is getting according to various surveys. He will obviously be above board. 

Coming to the developments in the Congress party, we are witnessing massive infighting in the Haryana unit. Kumari Selja refused to campaign for many days for being sidelined. What is your take on the issue? Do you think it will have any impact on the party in the ongoing elections? 

No, I don't think so. Congress party is fighting in Haryana as a collective unit and on one platform. All our leaders are important and have massive connect with the people. Congress party has reposed faith in the leadership of Choudhary Bhupinder Singh Hooda ji and our state unit chief Udai Bhan ji. That is why our performance as the main opposition party during the past five years has been commendable and extraordinary. Today, the Congress party is on the brink of forming a government in Haryana. All our leaders have contributed for that. The people of Haryana are supporting the collective leadership of the Congress party. 

But Kumari Selja has maintained that since Bhupinder Singh Hooda got 72 party tickets for his candidates, the onus of bringing the Congress to power lies on him. 

That was the decision of the party. Tickets are not distributed in the Congress by any individual. It is done by the national leadership. There is a CEC (central election committee), Rahul Gandhi ji is there, Sonia Gandhi ji is there, Mallikarjun Kharge ji is there, KC Venugopal ji is there. Candidate selection in the Congress party is done by the senior leadership and not by one person. 

There is also an allegation that the Congress in Haryana has been reduced to a party of one caste Jats, it is a Jat-dominated party and that it has ignored the remaining 35 biradari (castes) and that is why the Congress is out of power for the past ten years. Has it changed this time? 

This is a facade created by the BJP. They have made it a fight between 35 versus one. They have ensured that the people fought among themselves, burned shops and tried to create social unrest not only in Haryana but the entire country. In Uttar Pradesh, they have pitted Yadavs against non-Yadavs, Marathas against non-Marathas in Maharashtra, Patidars versus non-Patidars and Jats versus non-Jats in Haryana. Congress is a party of 36 biradari (castes) in Haryana. Vardhan Yadav has got an opportunity at the cost of a Jat candidate in Badshahpur. He had tried hard for the Congress ticket but Hooda ji and the Congress party reposed their trust in me. 

My last question - Deepender Hooda or Bhupinder Hooda? 

My personal opinion is that the Congress party should hand over the chief minister's post to Deepender Hooda ji in view of his growing popularity, his behaviour and his amazing connect with the people. The Congress should give an opportunity to a young chief minister this time.