Pitted against Yadav, Inderjit faces tough fight in Gurgaon

Gurugram, April 25

Saffron party MP Rao Inderjit Singh is facing a stiff challenge from Congress candidate Capt Ajay Singh Yadav in the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency, where 27 candidates are in the fray. Both are Yadavs from Rewari, which may lead to a division of votes in the district.

Inderjit Singh is the second son of former Haryana Chief Minister Rao Birender Singh. His elder brother Rao Ajit Singh is an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) member while the younger one Rao Yajuvendra Singh is a former Congress MLA from Kosli.

The Gurgaon constituency comprises Gurugram, Rewari and Nuh districts which have 10.8 lakh, 64,62,39 and 53,109 voters, respectively.

“With two brothers in opposition camps, Inderjit’s road to victory is not easy, especially in Rewari. Recently, Yajuvendra’s son Rao Arjun Singh attended Captain Yadav’s rally in Rewari and announced his support to him. Such acts by Inderjit’s relatives will hurt him on the poll day,” said political expert Pawan Sachdeva.

Recently, residents of 72 villagers in the Manesar area of Gurugram threatened to boycott the elections. A visit to Bolni village, which Inderjit Singh adopted under the PM’s flagship scheme, explains why.

“It has been four and a half years since our village was adopted but we still don’t have basic amenities like piped drinking water and sewage lines. We get electricity only for two to three hours. The state government opened an Atal Sewa Kendra (citizen facilitation centre) in two buildings but it is always locked,” said Jitu Yadav, a local.

In the Mewat area of the constituency, it was the promise of a connecting rail route and a water canal to the state’s most backward district Nuh that got Inderjit Singh the minority community votes in the 2014 elections.

But ignoring the promise, the Haryana and the Central governments recently proposed a plan to connect Asawati railway station in Palwal with Rewari via Manesar, Sohna and Ballabhgarh without touching any part of Nuh.

The Mewat region, which spreads across Alwar, Bharatpur, Palwal and some parts of Gurugram and Faridabad, is also the area where several mob lynching victims — Pehlu Khan (Bahror), Rakbar Khan (Alwar), Junaid (Asawati) — hailed from.

The tragedies are likely to resonate during the elections.

“This region has witnessed a poll percentage of 80-84. A higher poll percentage is expected this year, and since 80 per cent of the voters are Muslims, they are not likely to go for the BJP,” said Rajudin Khan, a political expert in Ferozpur Jhirka.

Gurugram district has a mix of rural and urban voters. And because the local leaders only care about permanent residents, migrants may also turn the tables. “The BJP government made promises but failed to implement a single one on the ground. Besides demonetisation, implementation of the GST, inflation, unemployment and a hike in electricity bills have badly hurt common people over the past five years,” said Captain Yadav.

However, Inderjit Singh brushed aside all reports of anti-incumbency. — IANS

‘Unfulfilled promises to go against BJP’

The BJP government made promises but failed to implement even one on the ground. Besides demonetisation, implementation of the GST, unemployment and a hike in electricity bills have hurt common people over the past five years. Capt Ajay Yadav, Cong

‘There’s no sign of anti-incumbency’

Our government has completed many infrastructural projects, including four underpasses at Rajiv Chowk, Signature Chowk, Iffco Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk in Gurugram. There is no anti-incumbency. We will give an impressive show.  Rao Inderjit Singh, BJP