Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday challenged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to seek votes on implementing the promises made during the 2014 Assembly elections if it has any misconceptions about its popularity in the state.

Hooda, who resumed the sixth phase of the Jankranti Yatra from Shahbad in Kurukshetra district, said the BJP government in the state has failed on all fronts in the state and is trying to mislead the people of the state.

“The BJP has failed to deliver on their promises. If they have any misgivings about their popularity and effectiveness of their government in the state, they should seek votes on how they have implemented their manifesto. I am sure they will not win even a single seat,” he said. The former CM said 10 years of hard work by the Congress government had put the state on the road to high growth, making Haryana the number one state in the country in development.

Speaking at a series of meetings, Hooda raised the issue of the Dadupur Nalvi canal which is an important local issue. He said work on the canal will not only be restarted, it will also be extended.

The former CM raised the issue of pending dues of sugarcane farmers and said every penny due to the farmers would be paid to them. He also promised all crops, including sunflower, would be brought under minimum support price (MSP) and the entire crop would be purchased and added that MSP would be calculated on the basis of comprehensive costs, as suggested by the Swaminathan commission.

Hooda also attacked the government on the unprecedented rise in the prices of diesel and petrol which would be brought under Goods and Services Tax (GST), when the Congress takes over the reigns of the government. He added that GST would be simplified to end the harassment of traders and businesspeople across the state.

The former CM repeated the promises made during the Jankranti yatra which include raising old age pensions to Rs 3,000 per month, full electricity at half the price, zero application fee for government jobs, loan waivers for the farmers and workers, Rs 9,000 support to unemployed youth, and higher pay scales of government employees.