lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Mar 05, 2019 15:49 IST

The only Congress leader from Haryana to make it to the Lok Sabha in 2014 general election, Deepender Singh Hooda won from Rohtak , defeating BJP’s OP Dhankar by more than 1.7 lakh votes. He has been a three-time lawmaker from this seat, having won in 2005 and 2009. Saying his work in the constituency speaks for him, he wants to contest from this seat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Excerpts from his interview with HT:

What was the high point of your five-year term?

The completion of the National Cancer Institute at AIIMS, Badsa (Jhajjar), was definitely the highest point. I worked hard to get this project here and it was due to my constant pressure on the government that the project was completed despite initial abandonment. The completion of the IIM-Rohtak campus and Bahadurgarh Metro were also high points. We made this constituency an education and health hub.

Will you contest again? Why should people vote for you?

Yes, I will contest again. My work speaks for myself. Today, Rohtak is the only parliamentary constituency in the country to have all three prestigious institutes: IIT, AIIMS and IIM.

Anything which you wanted to do but could not?

The BJP government put hurdles and gave stepmotherly treatment to my constituency. The Meham airport project, which I had got sanctioned and approved, was scrapped and shifted to Uttar Pradesh. The rapid metro project up to the Industrial Model Township (IMT), Rohtak, is gathering dust. The IMT, Madina, project has also been scrapped by the government.

How was your experience in Parliament?

It was good. As an opposition leader, I was able to raise important issues. In five years, I won four awards, including the Best MP award recently.

Your opponents call you a leader born of dynasty politics and say you have been winning only because of your father.

These are unfortunate statements that try to ridicule the people of the state who have restored their faith in me and vote for me. In democracy, if you belong to a political family you get an opportunity for the first time. But not again and again. My winning the last three times shows my hard work and the highest regard for the people of my constituency.