Rao Narbir Singh to contest Assembly elections from Badshahpur ‘with or without BJP’

Sumedha Sharma

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Gurugram, July 14

With a tug of war on between BJP leaders over candidature in Badshahpur Assembly segment, former minister and Ahir leader Rao Narbir Singh has announced he will surely contest the elections. In conversation with The Tribune, Singh said that he would contest the Vidhan Sabha elections 2024 ‘with or without BJP’.

“I went with the party’s mandate of not contesting elections in 2019 but will not disappoint my supporters anymore. I am fighting these elections. Giving me a ticket or not is in the party’s hand,” he said.

It may be noted that in addition to Narbir, Jawahar Yadav, former OSD to former CM ML Khattar, too, is in fray. With both insisting on their candidature, highly placed sources revealed that no amount of mediation had managed to get one to back off. It may be noted that Narbir had won the 2014 Assembly election and was part of the state Cabinet. Despite his popularity, he was dropped from the candidates’ list in 2019 and did not even make it to the list of star campaigners then.

It was his fallout with the then CM Khattar and MP Rao Inderjit Singh which was cited as the key reason behind him not getting a ticket. The party lost in the Badshahpur constituency in 2019 to Independent MLA late Rakesh Daultabad, who eventually supported BJP. Daultabad’s wife too has announced her candidature, though not affiliated to any party as of now. Political circles are rife with reports of how Congress had tried offering him a ticket in the Lok Sabha polls and would still approach him.

“Congress can make an offer, its their choice but accepting or denying it is my choice. The city progressed majorly till 2019 but look in the last five years, we have become Kuragram. Officials are looting the city, there is no accountability and I need to win to set things right,” added Narbir.

Blaming the state government for the civic mess in the city, Narbir said that the position of public representatives had been diminished while a free hand was given to bureaucrats. “There is no accountability as no MLA can ask them anything. They enjoy the patronage of the state government,” he said.

Won’t disappoint my supporters

I went with the party’s mandate of not contesting elections in 2019 but will not disappoint my supporters anymore. I am fighting this election. Giving me a ticket or not is in party’s hand. — Rao Narbir Singh, former minister