'Cong will win Haryana Assembly polls with majority'

About his proximity to PM Modi and Amit Shah, Hooda, says: “I am not inimical to anyone, they are fighting for their party and I am fighting for my own party”

With the Haryana Assembly elections more than a year away, politics has started warming up in Haryana. The political parties and the leaders have started hitting the ground to connect with the masses. While most of the aspiring leaders are still trying to find the pulse of people in their areas, former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda exudes confidence that his party is going to win the Assembly elections with a comfortable majority.

In a free-wheeling interview with Senior Executive Editor Aditya Kant, the four-time MP and the two-time chief minister, plays down the issue of factionalism within the party while he evades a direct response to the queries about his candidature as the chief minister in the eventuality of his party winning the Assembly elections. Excerpts:

AK: Political parties have started warming up to the parliamentary and Assembly elections due in Haryana next year. Where do you see Congress right now?

BSH:We are on top of the situation and the mood is upbeat. The party activities and the mass connect movement has already begun through various programmes in the state. The party organised ‘Vipaksh aap ke samaksh’ in Bhiwani last month. Besides, we already have covered eight parliamentary constituencies and the remaining two, Hisar and Rohtak, too would be covered soon. The programmes to connect with the masses like ‘Haath se Haath jodo’ are evoking a good response. The party has been rejuvenated after Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and his walk from Nuh to Ambala when there was a big gathering of people in Panipat on one of the coldest days early this year. At present, all MLAs and other party leaders are on the ground and making public contact.