Ambala (Haryana), May 3 Two-time Haryana chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday promised to set up an Institute of Management Technology (IMT) in Ambala to promote industry and employment if the Congress government is formed.
Hooda was here along with state Congress President Chaudhary Udaibhan to accompany party candidate Varun Mullana to file his nomination for the Ambala Lok Sabha seat.
Many senior party leaders and MLAs were present on the occasion.
Addressing a public meeting before filing the nomination, Hooda said: "This is not just the Lok Sabha elections, but a fight to save the Constitution of the country. That is why Opposition parties have united and formed the INDIA Bloc. In Haryana, this alliance is contesting the elections with full strength, and all communities are going to ensure victory for the INDIA bloc and by defeating the BJP.
"This victory will lay the foundation of Congress government in Haryana along with at the Centre."
Hooda promised that "if the Congress government is formed, 30 lakh youth across India and more than 2 lakh youth in Haryana will get permanent government jobs as per their merits, without any paper leak. Besides, farmers will be given guarantee of MSP (minimum support price) and freedom from debt".
He said the Congress has also promised to provide 300 units of free electricity and gas cylinders for Rs 500 in the state.
"The Congress manifesto also promises 50 per cent reservation in jobs for women and Rs 1 lakh annually," he added.
On this occasion, party candidate Mulana said the Congress has talked about five "justices and 25 guarantees".
"The Congress fulfils whatever it says, whereas the BJP makes big promises and claims but does not do even small work," he added.
Ambala is a significant Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana, comprising nine Assembly segments -- Kalka, Panchkula, Naraingarh, Ambala Cantt, Ambala City, Mulana (SC), Sadhaura (SC), Jagadhri and Yamunanagar.
It is a Scheduled Caste (SC) seat.
Ambala has traditionally witnessed a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP or Jana Sangh since 1967.
The BJP has fielded Banto Kataria, the wife of former Union Minister and three-time MP, Rattan Lal Kataria, who passed away last year.
In a first, Haryana's regional party Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) gave Ambala ticket to Sikh candidate Gurpreet Singh, a practicing lawyer at Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rattan Lal Kataria had defeated then Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Kumari Selja by securing 57 per cent votes with a huge margin of about 3.42 lakh votes.
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