'The contest will be directly between Congress and BJP': Chaudhary Birendra Singh on upcoming Haryana Assembly election

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], July 27 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Chaudhary Birendra Singh stated on Saturday that the main contest in the upcoming Haryana Assembly election will be between the Congress and the BJP.
He noted that the majority of people in the state are dissatisfied with the Bharatiya Janta Party's (BJP) rule.
"This time, the contest will be directly between Congress and BJP. Seventy percent of the people in Haryana are angry with the BJP, which will benefit the Congress," Singh told ANI.
Singh also expressed his support for conducting a caste census in the state. "A caste census is necessary in Haryana. I was in favor of it when I was in the BJP as well. We need to know which sections of society require more benefits and help from the government. The demand for a caste census is a nationwide demand," he said.
He emphasized that a caste census should also determine the political representation of each caste to ensure no single group dominates political offices. Furthermore, Singh highlighted the importance of identifying which sections within Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes need more governmental assistance.
Addressing the boycott of the NITI Aayog meeting by Congress chief ministers, Singh remarked that there would be no benefit from NITI Aayog when the central government operates solely according to its own agenda. "When the government is doing everything according to its own wishes, then there is no prominence of NITI Aayog," he stated.
He added that institutions like NITI Aayog and the Election Commission can only perform effectively when they are independent.
Birendra Singh announced his intention to play an active role in the upcoming Haryana Assembly election, scheduled for later this year. He pointed out that the Congress's decision not to declare a chief ministerial candidate is advantageous for the party. Additionally, he mentioned that former Lok Sabha MP Brijendra Singh would contest the assembly elections. (ANI)