Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda accused the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party of jointly manipulating the electoral process and undermining democracy. He claimed that evidence of such manipulation had already emerged from the Haryana election results, and the reality of voter list tampering through the Special Intensive Revision process had been exposed during elections in West Bengal.
Congress Training on SIR Process
Hooda made these remarks after a meeting with Congress leaders and workers in Gurugram on Tuesday. The meeting focused on training participants regarding the SIR process, including how to assist eligible voters in getting registered and how to identify and remove fake entries from the voter list. He stated that the Congress party's objective is clear: no fake votes should be added, and no genuine voter should be removed. For this purpose, Congress leaders, workers, and the entire organisation are actively engaged across the state.
Unprecedented Voter Turnout Figures
Responding to journalists’ questions, Hooda recalled that in Haryana, voter turnout figures continued to increase for three consecutive days after polling had ended. He described this as unprecedented, noting that voting percentages kept rising many hours after polling was completed.
Water Crisis and Government Deception
Hooda also strongly objected to what he described as the government’s deception and authoritarian approach toward the residents of Chanot village in Hansi. He said the villagers were merely demanding access to a basic necessity—water—but the government was misleading them with false assurances. He further stated that the entire state of Haryana is currently facing a water shortage. However, despite the Chief Minister’s frequent visits to Punjab, he never raises Haryana’s water-related concerns.
Haryana's Decline in Key Indices
Citing several reports, Hooda claimed that Haryana has fallen behind in nearly every sector during the BJP government’s tenure. According to the Central Government’s Social Progress Index, Haryana is the most unsafe state with a score of 33 points. As per the India Justice Report, Haryana Police’s ranking dropped from 8th to 14th place over the last five years, placing it 14th among 18 major states. Haryana ranks 16th in the country’s Happiness Index. According to the Ministry of Rural Development, the state stands 11th in overall performance.
NITI Aayog and Other Reports
As per NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023–24, Haryana ranks 14th in the country. NITI Aayog’s Fiscal Health Index places Haryana 14th among 18 states. According to NCRB data, corruption cases have increased by 187 percent over the last three years, making Haryana the sixth-ranked state in terms of corruption cases. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reports that Haryana ranks fourth in the country in terms of farmers’ debt, with an average debt of Rs 182,922 per farming household.
Rising Debt and Industrial Decline
Hooda stated that Haryana’s debt, which stood at Rs 60,000 crore in 2014, has now risen to approximately Rs 5.5 lakh crore. According to NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2024, Haryana’s overall ranking slipped to 10th place from 5th place in the 2021 report. The state’s score also declined from 63.55 to 55.01, which, according to Hooda, reflects policy failures of the government. “Due to the BJP government’s policies, industries are continuously moving out of Haryana. Official figures indicate that since 2018–19, a total of 1,446 factories have either shut down or relocated from the state. Over the past five years, Haryana’s industrial sector has witnessed a decline of 12.2 percent,” he added.
