Gurugram RWA to boycott Lok Sabha elections over civic disarray

Tribune News Service

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, April 24

In what appears to be the millennium city’s first open outcry against civic disarray this election season, over 10,000 residents of Sector 38 have declared a boycott of the Lok Sabha elections.

Led by the local Resident Welfare Association (RWA), the residents have deemed the current elections irrelevant, stating that they would not improve their deteriorating quality of life, plagued by overflowing sewage and dilapidated roads. The RWA members said they had been enduring these issues since 2016, and despite their pleas to the authorities and ministers, nothing has changed.

Elections bring no change

What relevance do elections hold for us when they bring no change to our lives? Neither the incumbent MP nor the BJP candidate, nor any other party candidate, addresses the civic issues afflicting our city. They discuss national issues, but who will address our problems?. — Sajesh Gulia, RWA President, Sector 38

Will devise permanent solutions

I am in communication with the Gurugram MC to devise permanent solutions. We have consistently raised this issue with the previous state government and are now pursuing it with the new Haryana Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini. We will establish a dedicated specialised work model to resolve the issue. — Rao Inderjit Singh, incumbent MP and BJP candidate

“What relevance do elections hold for us when they bring no change to our lives? Neither the incumbent MP nor the BJP candidate, nor any other party candidate, addresses the civic issues afflicting our city. They discuss national issues, but who will address our problems? We have been suffering since 2016 and hoped for a change after the 2019 elections, yet nothing has improved. Neither the MP, nor the MLA, nor the Gurugram Municipal Corporation cares about us, so our votes won’t matter,” said Sajesh Gulia, President of the RWA in Sector 38.

Not only this RWA, but all RWAs across the city have highlighted civic mess as a major issue they want Lok Sabha candidates to address. However, it is yet to be mentioned in any manifestos or promises.

“It’s a sad reality that the day-to-day issues and civic crises faced by people are deemed unworthy of attention and time. Politicians have nothing to say about them, let alone offer solutions. We all want to fulfil our democratic responsibilities, but will it change our lives or fate?” asked Praveen Malik of the United Association of New Gurugram.

When questioned about the city’s civic issues, incumbent MP and BJP candidate Rao Inderjit Singh said, “I am in communication with the Gurugram MC to devise permanent solutions. We have consistently raised this issue with the previous state government and are now pursuing it with the new Haryana Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini. We will establish a dedicated specialised work model to resolve the issue.”

Responding to the same, JJP candidate Rahul Yadav Fazilpuria and Congress leader Rao Inderjit Singh blamed the MP’s indifference to the millennium city for its current state of disarray.

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