Former chief minister of Haryana and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said after Bharatiya Janata Party’s massive defeat in Karnataka Assembly polls, the saffron party’s performance will be even worse than in Haryana Assembly polls late next year.

Addressing a gathering during the Congress’ Haath Se Haath Jodo campaign in Rohtak, Hooda asserted that the Congress will form the government in Haryana by registering a bigger victory than in Karnataka. “Congress is going to the people on issues like unemployment, inflation, corruption and law and order,” he added.

The former CM said people of the state are extremely pained how the state has declined under the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party (BJP-JJP) coalition government’s rule.

“Before 2014 (when Congress was in power), Haryana was number one in every performance metric of per capita income, per capita investment, employment generation, respect for elders, farmers, sportspersons, welfare schemes and development. Haryana has now become number one by BJP-JJP in terms of unemployment, inflation, drugs and crime and corruption. Haryana, which was known throughout the country for strong law and order and peaceful environment, has today become a stronghold of criminals,” he added

Hooda said every section of the state is troubled by the misdeeds of the government. “This government has buried Haryana under a debt of Rs Four lakh crores. In the name of family identity card, pension of five lakh elderly people and ration cards of 10 lakh poor families were cut. By creating a mess of property ID, quarrels were created in every house in the cities,” he said.

The Congress leader said government jobs were abolished by the Manohar Lal Khattar government due to which 1,82,000 posts are lying vacant today. “But the government is not ready to recruit. On formation of the Congress government, confirmed recruitment will be done on all the vacant posts. Along with the families whose ration cards have been cut and the elderly whose pension has been cut, it will be restored,” he said.

He said Rs 6,000 per month pension will be given to the elderly. On the lines of Rajasthan, a gas cylinder will be given in Haryana for Rs 500. The scheme of giving plots of 100 yards each to poor families and giving stipend to the children of poor families will be started again. Employees will be given the benefit of the old pension scheme and farmers will be given loan waivers.