With the Haryana assembly heading for a fractured mandate, senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday urged non-BJP outfits to join hands.
"This mandate is against the BJP. The JJP, INLD and others, including the Independents, should join hands with the Congress to keep the BJP at bay," Hooda told reporters in Rohtak. On being asked if the Congress had made an offer of the chief minister's post to Jannayak Janta Party chief Dushyant Chautala, Hooda said no such talk had taken place.
According to the Election Commission data, the BJP has won 40 seats, Congress 31 and Others in 18 in the 90-member Haryana assembly. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Hooda added: “If I had got charge earlier, we would have got majority.”
When asked about what does he think about the results in Haryana assembly elections, Hooda told the Hindustan Times that, "the people of Haryana have voted against the non -performing Khattar government. The people have showed their anger by defeating most of their ministers."
Appealing non-BJP outfits to join hands with the Congress, Hooda assured them that they would be given due respect. "We are prepared to form a strong government," he said. Taking a jibe at the BJP, Hooda said: "Those who were claiming to win more than 75 seats, people have shown them the reality and they have been limited to around 30 seats."
