Rao Narbir camp wins Manesar MC Deputy Mayor posts unopposed

In a significant political development in the Manesar Municipal Corporation (MMC), Independent councillor-turned-BJP member Praveen Yadav from Ward 12 was on Tuesday elected as the Senior Deputy Mayor, while Reema Deepak Chauhan from Ward 2 was elected Deputy Mayor. Both were elected unopposed amid the absence of Mayor Dr Inderjeet Yadav and eight councillors from the Rao Inderjit Singh camp, who skipped the voting.

With this, the Rao Narbir Singh faction has claimed a strong comeback after losing the mayoral post to the rival camp earlier. However, Narbir dismissed all suggestions of intra-party rivalry and factionalism.

“There is no factionalism in BJP. It’s not any camp but the party that has won. After years, a unanimous decision has been taken, which shows BJP’s deep penetration into local governance. The unity of councillors is the foundation of ground-level development,” said Rao Narbir Singh, who visited Manesar to congratulate the newly elected office-bearers.

On being asked about allegations that councillors were sent to Nepal to prevent horse-trading, Narbir said he had no knowledge of any such plan.

“The party did not send councillors abroad. I heard people travelled, but it was probably a personal trip,” he said.

The elections for the posts of Deputy and Senior Deputy Mayor were held amid a tense political atmosphere, with the MMC being the youngest civic body in Haryana. The civic elections have been a battleground between BJP heavyweights Rao Inderjit Singh and Rao Narbir Singh, with the former securing the mayoral win through Independent candidate Dr Inderjeet Yadav.

However, the latest outcome suggests Rao Narbir’s resurgence and increasing influence in revenue-rich Manesar, a region witnessing rapid urbanisation and infrastructural development.

Although Rao Inderjit Singh did not issue an official statement, one of his close aides commented that while the party had insisted on giving the deputy mayor posts to BJP councillors, it had ultimately agreed to support an Independent for the post of Senior Deputy Mayor.

Meanwhile, the absence of Mayor Yadav and her supporting councillors from the crucial voting process raised concerns among local residents, many of whom fear that political one-upmanship may hamper developmental activities in the booming industrial township.