Motor mouths embarrass Cong; BJP attacks ‘job offers for votes’

Chandigarh: With the Haryana elections nearing, Congress candidates have stirred a controversy with the promises of jobs and rewards if the party wins. Assandh legislator Shamsher Singh Gogi and NIT Faridabad nominee Neeraj Sharma made questionable comments about distributing govt jobs and favours to the supporters, drawing criticism.
Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda distanced the party from these statements, calling them personal views, while the BJP seized this opportunity to accuse the Congress of intending to use the state’s resources for personal gain.Recent incidents, including caste-based and gender-biased remarks by the Congress members, have troubled the party further ahead of the polls.

Addressing his supporters on Tuesday, Assandh’s Congress MLA Shamsher Singh Gogi said: “If Assandh gets a share in the govt, we will make sure to please our relatives, those who have come from outside to help us, and also those from our community. Of course, we will first take care of our own household.”
Similarly, Congress nominee from NIT Faridabad, Neeraj Sharma, announced govt jobs for those who vote for him. “Hooda Saheb has promised to give away 2 lakh jobs in the state. Send me to victory, and we will get a quota of 2,000 jobs. For every 50 votes, there is a recommendation for one job. The more votes you give, the more jobs we will get from here," Sharma said while addressing a meeting in his constituency.
Earlier, Congress motor mouths in Narnaund and Kalayat assembly seats had embarrassed the party in Hisar and Kaithal districts. Last week, a video hit the social media in which a supporter of Congress nominee from Narnaund, Jasvir Singh ‘Jassi Petwar’, had targeted Hooda’s rival for chief ministerial candidature, Kumari Selja, with caste-based comments. Petwar had become the candidate after the party had bypassed Selja associate Dr Ajay Chaudhary.
An FIR was regisstered and Hooda has since clarified that Selja is a respected member of the party, and those who insult her have no place in the Congress. Hisar MP Jai Prakash ‘JP’ faced a similar backlash after making a gender-biased comment at a Sept 11 gathering in Kalayat. Referring to two women who aspired fort the party ticket, he said: “If lipstick and powder made one a leader, then I’ll apply those, too. Why should I keep a beard then?” As this video apprared on social media, chairperson of the state commission for women, Renu Bhatia, said she would take cognizance of the matter. Local khaps held a public meeting on Monday, vowing not to support JP’s son, Vikas Saharan, in the polls over these comments.