Former CM Hooda claims the Congress's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections

Rohtak, March 8, 2026: Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that Congress's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections is certain because the party has nominated a grassroots worker, a decision that is being widely praised. He was talking to media persons at his D Park residence, Maturam Bhawan today.

Earlier today, he met the family of Air Force Squadron Leader Anuj Sharma, who was martyred in the Sukhoi fighter plane crash in Assam. Hooda paid his respects and offered heartfelt condolences to the family. He said that in Anuj, Mother India has lost a promising son. “The country will always remember his services and his contribution to Operation Sindoor,” he said.

Addressing a press conference, he called the central government's foreign policy unfortunate, saying that US pressure is visible on important decisions like oil imports. He said the situation today has become such that the government has to seek certification from other countries even for basic decisions like importing oil, which is shameful. “We are an independent country, yet any deal made under foreign pressure raises questions about our sovereignty,” he said.

Hooda said that inflation is continuously worsening under the BJP government. The increase in gas cylinder prices has robbed the poor and middle class. The backbreaking inflation has made life difficult for the common man.

Reacting to the Haryana budget, he said that this is not a budget, but empty rhetoric. “The BJP has burdened Haryana with a debt of ₹5.56 lakh crore. The budget figures and the Chief Minister's speech itself reflect desperation. The government has no plan to control inflation, no plan to create employment, no provision for MSP for farmers, and no funds to strengthen infrastructure,” he said.

“There are simply no adequate funds for any new medical colleges, roads, bridges, or other projects undertaken under the guise of capital expenditure,” he added.

Reacting to the paddy scam, the Leader of the Opposition said the government is only trying to implicate small employees in this case, and instead of taking action against the big fish, who are being protected. “The public is well aware that this scam worth thousands of crores could not have been carried out by small employees. Powerful people in power are behind it,” he pointed out.

Regarding the potato and Bhavantar Yojana, Hooda said farmers are being continuously cheated. “As soon as farmers' crops arrive in the markets, prices are suddenly dropped, but as soon as they reach the warehouses, the prices of potatoes and other products skyrocket again. Furthermore, no assistance is provided to farmers under the Bhavantar Yojana. It is merely a gimmick, used by the government to suppress the farmers' voices,” he said.

Hooda said the BJP government is engaged in nothing but scams. “The recent bank and paddy scams have made headlines. However, dozens of scams have occurred before, including those related to liquor, recruitment, the kilometer scheme, electricity meters, millet procurement, and registration. Committees are announced to investigate a few scams, but their reports are never released,” he said.