Chief minister Nayab Saini also attended a “Jan Ashirwad” rally in Jind on Sunday, where he highlighted various schemes and decisions taken by the Haryana government for the welfare of the people.
The CM spoke about the state government’s efforts to provide tubewell connections to all farmers, setting up 4,000 schools in the state, increasing the salaries and benefits of safai karamcharis among others.
He also mentioned the decision to provide pension benefits for more than 75.000 people in the state, and the decision to increase the salaries of various government employees by 8% as well.
Saini, who welcomed leaders from other parties including three Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) legislators into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fold, came down heavily on principal opponent, the Congress, saying the party has formed in Himachal, Telangana and Karnataka on the basis of false promises and now former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda looking to fool the people of Haryana on similar lines.
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“In Himachal, the CM himself asked the ministers to use their salaries for the development works as the government is facing fund crises. In Haryana, Hooda is eyeing power to loot the state exchequer. We have asked Hooda to answer our 15 questions but he remained mum on our questions. The Haryana voters will give answer to Hooda by ensuring BJP’s victory for the third term,” Saini added.
Saini exuded confidence in his party’s chances, saying, “Big leaders of other parties have joined the BJP today. The BJP is going to form the government for the third consecutive time.”
Three former Jannayak Janata party (JJP) legislators, Ram Kumar Gautam from Narnaund, Jogi Ram Sihag from Barwala and former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala’s close aide Anoop Dhanak from Uklana, meanwhile, joined the saffron party during the event.
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Anoop remained the labour minister with independent charge in the BJP-JJP alliance government in Haryana until March this year when the saffron party parted ways with its junior alliance partner. However, the BJP did not allow Narwana MLA Ramniwas Surjakhera to join the party as he was booked in a rape case last week. Prior to that, he was expected to join the BJP.
Ambala mayor and Jessica Lal’s murder convict Manu Sharma’s mother Shakti Rani Sharma also joined the BJP in the presence of Saini, party’s state chief Mohan Lal Badoli and former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb.
Speaking on the occasion, Gautam said the previous government adopted a culture of “parchi-kharchi (getting jobs and other works through money and recommendation of ruling leaders)” but Manohar Lal Khattar brought that to an end. “Khattar had regularised several unauthorised colonies and gave relief to people who were facing problems,” he added.
BJP state chief Mohan Lal Badoli, meanwhile, the public had only seen the “trailer” of CM Saini’s governance in the few months that he has been in power. “Today rumours were spread by the Congress that Amit Shah had to cancel today’s rally in Jind. This time the truth will prevail and you have to be cautious from Congress’s false narrative. We will form the government for the third time,” he added.