Hooda gives himself a third term as chief minister

The Congress may have a tradition of not naming anyone as its chief ministerial candidate, but Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Sunday gave himself a third term in office, saying the party will form the government in the state for the third time under his leadership.

Talking to media in Rohtak town, 70 km from New Delhi, Hooda said he was made chief minister for the second time (in October 2009) due to the growth and development Haryana has made. He would lead the state for the third time also, he added.

Elections to the Haryana assembly are likely to be held October next year (2014). Hooda became chief minister for the first time in March 2005. In the October 2009 assembly polls, the Congress did not get a simple majority but managed to form a government with support of Independents.

Claiming that Haryana has seen a lot of development in the last eight years of his government, Hooda said the state was number one in many fields.

With the top leaders of the main opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) - former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala - sentenced to prison for 10 years in the teachers' recruitment scam earlier this year, the Congress is hoping for a comeback in the assembly polls for a third time next year.