Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Friday joined the campaign for the coalition candidate in Baroda bypoll and addressed gatherings in half-a-dozen villages. The senior leader of Jannayak Janta Party attacked Congress and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for allegedly plundering the State for over a decade.
With just three days left before the election campaign for the bypoll comes to an end, Mr. Chautala went on a whirlwind tour of the Assembly segment addressing gatherings at Gangana, Bhavarh, Medina, Rukhi and Rabhda in support of party’s nominee Yogeshwar Dutt.
The Deputy CM, addressing residents, said Mr. Hooda and his son Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda did not visit Baroda in this term and are going door-to-door asking for the votes. He questioned them about the number of times that Mr. Hooda came forward for the development of Baroda and worked for the people. He alleged that Mr. Hooda looted the land of farmers and handed it over to outsiders like Robert Vadra.
Mr. Chautala said Mr. Dutt, a wrestler, had brought accolades to the state both nationally and internationally and could take the issues of the people to the Prime Minister and the President, whereas the Congress candidate could not go beyond the Hoodas.
Spearheading the Congress election campaign, Mr. Hooda, on the other hand, said Baroda bypoll was a battle for Chandigarh. Taking a jibe at Chief Minister Manohar Lal’s assurance for “participation in governance” of the region, Mr. Hooda said the hard-working, honest and self-respecting people of Baroda did not want a share in the government of plunder, crime and corruption, but wanted their own government.
Mr. Hooda campaigned in Jasrana, Gumana, Aavli and Bilbilan in Baroda and addressed several public meetings seeking support for Congress candidate Induraj Narwal.