14 October,2009 06:58 AM IST | | Amit Kumar
A confident Bhupinder Singh Hooda is in a mood to pour his heart out. As good news pours in from all over the state, the 62-year-old political veteran talks about life, his MP son Deepender and his love for tennis. Amit Kumar takes notesu00a0
There is a generation gap between him and me. Unlike him, I don't like gizmos. I only know how to use the mobile phone and that too how to make calls and receive them. At times, I use the wireless (cordless) telephone.
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So, what kindles the passion of a successful chief minister, films?
I used to watch films when I was in college. But once I entered politics, I didn't get time to indulge. Nowadays, I hardly have time to watch even one movie. But among the recent films, I liked Gandhi, My Father.u00a0u00a0
I am an avid lover of tennis. I practice everyday. I even represented India in the senior citizen world tournament held in Turkey recently.
Otherwise, when I am not working, which is rare, I meet friends and relax with them. I love reading books on agriculture as well. After all, I belong to a family of farmers!
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Now that the elections are over, are you planning a vacation to relax?
The polls have ended today. The counting of ballots is scheduled to be held on October 22. Where is the time to take a vacation? And there is Diwali in between. I will celebrate Diwali with my family.
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Are you superstitious? Will you pray at any temple to thank the Almighty for the positive response of voters?
I am not superstitious, but I visit the temples at Tirupati, Shirdi and the one in my native village. Otherwise, I am a follower of Arya Samaj and believe only in my karma. The voters will choose me because of my work.
You seem confident about forming the next government in Haryana.
The Congress will form the next government here and with a massive majority. It will be a clean sweep for the party.
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If you win, don't you think you should thank the divided Opposition? Isn't your party reaping the benefit of the weak Opposition in the state?
It is a myth. In fact, for the first time, I am seeing such a strong pro-Congress wave. I am a fourth generation politician and I have never seen such a unanimous people's verdict.
If we are talking about a divided Opposition, why did the Congress win the last Lok Sabha election? Then, the Bharatiya Janata Party had tied up with the Indian National Lok Dal in the state.
But let's wait for the official results. After all, I am not an astrologer.
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What were your poll issues?
The 3Cs: caste, corruption and crime. And my government has been able to mitigate all the three. I have provided transparent governance to the people of Haryana.
People are supporting the development we have provided and the communal harmony we have achieved. This election also backs the excellent leadership of the United Progressive Alliance government led by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
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What is the bane of development in the state?
Power. When we took charge, Haryana had only one power plant with a capacity of 1,587 mw. It was the only one built in about 40 years. In four-and-half years of my regime, I have constructed four power plants of 5,000 mw. Haryana has had eight chief ministers. I am the ninth. Among them, only two are active in politics and they are in the Opposition. I told them (Om Prakash Chautala and Bhajan Lal) they had ruled for 10 years each, but could not build a single power plant in the state. I am ready to quit politics, if they manage to set up even one plant. And people of the state realise this.
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What other achievements will you hold to your government's credit?
I have turned Haryana into an education hub. An extension of All India Institute of Medical Science is coming up at Jajjhar, Rothak will soon have an Indian Institute of Mangement (IIM), a girls' university is being built in Sonepat and Gurgaon will soon have a Defence University. There are several more educational institutes being built in the state.
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What about the Kalpana Chawla medical college to be built in Karnal?
It was a NASA-sponsored project and the funds haven't come. So it is being delayed.
