INLD rubbishes Hooda's claim of all-round development

Karnal, May 14 (UNI) Abhay Singh Chautala, son of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala today rubbished the development plank of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda saying had it been so, he would not have needed to work so hard to woo voters in Indri, Gohana and Adampur for assembly bypolls.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Chautala alleged that Mr Hooda had summoned panches and sarpanches of these constituencies to his residence at Chandigarh and directed them to ensure victory of the Congress candidates.

Even the district officers such as BDOs and DDPOs have been assigned duties to canvass for the Congress candidates, he alleged.

The Chief Minister, who had declared himself to be anti-nepotism, had brought in his own son Deepender into politics at the first opportunity, Mr Chautala alleged, adding that Mr Hooda's relatives had been pressurising the voters in these constituencies.

Mr Chautala alleged that Mr Hooda was not even sparing the press and had threatened a reporter of a vernacular daily of dire consequences if he did not report in favour of the government He said the Chief Minister was engaged in hectic canvassing ''to save his own chair''.

Terming the state Congress a ''divided house'', Mr Chautala said the deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan and Finance Minister Birender Singh had so far not convassed in any one of three constituencies. ''Same was the case with the union ministers of states Rao Inderjit Singh and Kumari Selja'', he added.

He, however, brushed aside apprehension of any bungling in these bypoll saying Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) cadres were strong enough to face any such eventuality.

He also said the INLD had full faith in the Haryana police and there was no need of any central forces.

It may be mentioned here that Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi had demanded deployment of CRPF, casting aspersions on the ''design of the government'' and had said the bypolls could be rigged by the ruling party.

Mr Chautala said HJC will have no status after May 25. ''On the day of the result, it will cease to exist, being basically a Congress team which had come into force just for the sake of power'', he said.

When asked to comment on the Congress poll promise of continuous power supply to Indri, Gohana and Adampur, Mr Chautala said the Chief Minister should be asked how can he do that when the entire state was reeling under power crisis with just 5-6 hours of daily power supply.

He said Mr Hooda preferred aerial route unlike his father Om Parkash Chautala who travelled by road and visited thermal power stations to find out the real status of their working.

''This kept the employees on their toes and hence sound power condition were ensured in the state during the INLD regime,'' he claimed.

Mr Chautala said a big rally would be organised by INLD at Indri on May 20 to be addressed by Mr O P Chautala and other senior leaders.

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