LoP says BJP in disarray, internal infighting crippling governance; urges priority for local youth in recruitment.

Chandigarh:  Former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of betraying unemployed youth in the state by allegedly allocating government jobs to candidates from outside Haryana.

Addressing mediapersons at his residence, Hooda said the BJP had come to power promising two lakh permanent jobs and regularisation of employees under the Kaushal Nigam (Skill Development Corporation), but had failed on both counts. “The BJP has not been able to conduct a single major recruitment drive in the past year. In the few small recruitments that did take place, more candidates from outside Haryana were selected than local youth,” he alleged.

The Congress leader said state governments across the country have framed recruitment rules to ensure that government jobs primarily benefit local youth. “In states where the language is not Hindi, a compulsory language paper is included—Marathi in Maharashtra, Tamil in Tamil Nadu and Punjabi in Punjab,” he said.

Referring to Haryana’s situation, Hooda noted that, since Hindi is the state language, a separate language paper may not be feasible. “But the BJP government can learn from Rajasthan, where Hindi is also the language. There, 30 to 40 questions on Rajasthan General Knowledge are mandatory in recruitment exams to give preference to local candidates,” he said.

Hooda further claimed that Haryana was the only state among the 28 states of the country where the Chairman of the Public Service Commission had been appointed from outside the state, calling it a reflection of the BJP’s disregard for local representation.

‘Fractured BJP ruling Haryana’

Commenting on the political situation in the state, the Leader of the Opposition said Haryana was being ruled by a “fractured BJP”. He cited internal dissent within the ruling party, including statements by senior BJP leader Anil Vij, to argue that even BJP leaders were not being heard by their own government.

“The infighting among BJP leaders from South Haryana, Faridabad and Gurugram is evident to everyone. This internal conflict has pushed the government into a state of disarray,” Hooda alleged.

Congress training camp in Kurukshetra

Hooda also spoke about the Congress training camp currently underway in Kurukshetra, saying district presidents were being familiarised with the party’s history, ideology and policies. He described the post of district president as one of “prestige and honour” in the Indian National Congress.

“Several stalwarts such as Sir Chhotu Ram, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh, Chaudhary Bansi Lal and Banarsi Das Gupta have held this position. One must internalise the pride of inheriting the Congress’s legacy of struggle, sacrifice and dedication,” he said. Hooda added that the Congress was not merely a political party but a culture and an ideal, deeply intertwined with India’s freedom struggle. “The history of the Congress is inseparable from the history of India’s fight for independence,” he said.