Karnal, May 17 : Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Friday said people in the state are excited about the "formation" of the Congress government both at the Centre and in the state.

Addressing a public meeting in Balla village of Assandh in the Karnal Lok Sabha, Hooda said that the BJP has "baton-charged" every section of society, including farmers, workers, employees, traders, temporary workers and sanitation workers.

'Now, the opportunity has come to avenge the injury of the batons through votes. This is not just an election, but a fight to save the Constitution and democracy. Just as entire Haryana is unilaterally voting for Congress to defeat the BJP, Karnal has also become a part of the campaign,' he said.

Hooda was in Karnal to seek votes for Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja for the parliamentary seat and Trilochan Singh for the Karnal assembly by-poll.

The two-time Chief Minister said inputs coming from all over the country 'shows that a coalition government will be formed at the Centre.'

'After the victory in the Lok Sabha, the Congress government is certain to be formed in Haryana as well. As soon as the Congress government is formed in Haryana, criminals and miscreants will not be allowed to live here,' he said.

He said that Congress wants the youth should move forward on the path of employment, instead of becoming victims of drugs, crime and migration.

'That is why the Congress in its manifesto has promised to provide 30 lakh government jobs within a year. The Haryana Congress has also announced to provide more than 2 lakh jobs.'

Speaking on the occasion, Divyanshu Budhiraja said the BJP undoubtedly has money power, but the Congress has manpower and youth power.

'The Congress high command has fielded a youth from an ordinary family against the former Chief Minister. That's why the people of Karnal themselves are contesting his elections. Many big leaders like former Panipat MLA Rohita Revdi, Independent MLA from Nilokheri, Dharampal Gondar, and former deputy mayor Manoj Wadhwa have joined the Congress after deserting the BJP,' he said.

BJP veteran Manohar Lal Khattar, who as the Haryana Chief Minister advocated simultaneous Assembly and general elections in the state, is facing a litmus test in his main support base Karnal, where Assembly by-poll and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously on May 25.

Khattar not only has to ensure the victory of his successor Chief Minister Nayab Saini in the by-polls but also win his maiden Lok Sabha battle to script BJP's hat-trick in Karnal, which is spread over nine Assembly segments.

The by-election was necessitated after the resignation of Khattar as the Chief Minister on March 13.

Polling in Haryana will be held in the sixth phase for 10 parliamentary seats and the by-poll for the lone Karnal assembly seat on May 25, while the results will be out on June 4.

/IANS