I will bring Yamuna water to southern Haryana: Rao Inderjit Singh

Cited as one of the strongest candidates for Lok Sabha election 2024, Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh is contesting his third election as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Gurgaon. Rao was an MP prior to this as well but from the Congress. He switched to the BJP in 2014. He is a five-time MP and is chasing a record sixth term. In an exclusive interview with Sumedha Sharma, he seemed confident about a record victory. Excerpts:

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The BJP govt has diluted concept of anti-incumbency with constant development. It’s not that I have sat idle for all these years. People have seen the constituency changing, progressing in the past 10 years and want it to continue.

Two successive stints and now the third attempt… how strong is the anti-incumbency factor in Gurgaon?

I can very safely say that the BJP regime has diluted the concept of anti-incumbency with constant development. It’s not that I have sat idle for all these years. People have seen the constituency changing, progressing in the past 10 years. Gurugram has transformed majorly in a decade way more than two decades in the last regime. Districts like Nuh are unrecognisable. People are experiencing development and want it to continue. They will go for trusted hands who will shape a better future.

What is your pitch to the voters to get a third chance from Gurgaon?

Development and concrete future offerings. Not just me, we are fighting for the dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. For Gurgaon, I am presenting to the people a list of major achievements like AIIMS, Dwarka Expressway, Metro expansion etc. I talk of development only and those who want it will vote for me based on my 10-year-long performance.

On development, Opposition points to your last-minute inauguration spree. They say majority of decade-old promises like Ahir regiment and defence university lie unfinished.

Yes, there are some projects which are in progress but we haven’t abandoned them. As an MP, I have pursued each project on a daily basis with the Centre and that’s why managed to develop the region way more in 10 years than they could do in three decades. The All-India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) at Majra in Rewari is one of my major accomplishments. The Rs 5,500 crore Metro rail project connecting old Gurugram with new Gurugram, Delhi-Mumbai expressway which cuts through Gurugram, ongoing electrification of Rewari-Jaipur railway line, modifications of railway stations in Rewari and Farrukh Nagar were some of the major infrastructure projects approved during my term as MP. Work for a defence university is underway and I am in constant touch with the Defence Ministry over Ahir regiment.

What are your promises if elected for another term?

I would like to ensure that the proposed regional rapid transit system (RRTS), which will improve connectivity to Rewari and Bawal, is completed in the next five years. Bringing surplus Yamuna water, during monsoon, to the parched terrains of southern Haryana by creating channels is another important project which will be taken up. This will help us in recharging the declining groundwater in the southern part of the state.

Voters in urban Gurugram are threatening to boycott elections saying while they struggle for basic infrastructure, it isn’t on the priority list of any candidate.

Though it’s a state government issue, I have never been oblivious to it. Sanitation is currently a big crisis and I have already got in touch with state government to resolve it. We have got a special nodal officer and will get authorities to take more measures to resolve it.

What do you have to say about your opponents Congress’s Raj Babbar and JJP’s Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria?

Their candidature has presented Gurugram with an option to choose between development and entertainment.