Poll battle heats up: Cong vows development, BJP bats for tag of ‘clean city’

In Badshahpur, Congress and BJP candidates campaign ahead of Haryana elections, promising development and improved civic amenities to voters.

The Badshahpur assembly constituency witnessed multiple rallies from Congress candidate Vardhan Yadav and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rao Narbir Singh on Sunday, with just a fortnight left before votes are cast in the Haryana assembly elections.

Vardhan Yadav (left) and Raj Babbar (right) at a housing society along the Dwarka Expressway in Gurugram on Sunday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Yadav was joined in his rallies by senior Congress leader and former MP Raj Babbar. Babbar urged the people of Badshahpur to elect Yadav, promising that his victory would open the doors to development in the region. Yadav is set to be accompanied by former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in public meetings on Monday.

The Badshahpur segment has 450,000 voters — the most in Haryana — and is one of the nine assembly seats falling under the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency. In 2019, it was won by Independent candidate Rakesh Daultabad, who passed away in May this year. The elections are scheduled for October 5 and results will be declared on October 8.

Raj Babbar campaigns

Raj Babbar, in his speech, praised Yadav for earning the trust of the Congress senior leadership at a young age. “The party has given him a significant responsibility by fielding him from such an important seat. Now it is up to the people to give him their blessings and help him succeed,” Babbar said. He said Yadav had worked tirelessly during his own election campaign in the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency and expressed confidence that Yadav’s vision and commitment would win over the people.

Yadav is visiting all high-rises during weekends to meet working professionals. He was invited by several RWAs on Sunday.

Gurugram will rival Indore: BJP

Rao Narbir Singh, the BJP candidate and former cabinet minister from Badshahpur, held multiple rallies and promised to make Gurugram as clean a city as Indore, which has consistently ranked first in cleanliness in the country.

Singh blamed the current administrative failure for the city’s increasing garbage problems but vowed to address the issue swiftly if elected. “I promise that the waste disposal problem will be resolved soon, and Gurugram will be transformed into a clean and green city, rivalling Indore in terms of sanitation and cleanliness,” he said.

He acknowledged the growing challenges posed by rapid urbanisation in Gurugram but stressed that development was achievable only under strong leadership. Singh highlighted his achievements during his previous term from 2014 to 2019, citing several large infrastructure projects, including underpasses, overbridges, and flyovers, which significantly improved the city’s traffic situation. “If those infrastructure projects were not completed, Gurugram would still be suffering from daily traffic jams,” Singh said.

Mukesh Sharma, the BJP candidate from Gurgaon, said that he will ensure proper health facilities and infrastructure across the city. “Each vote the people of the city cast for the BJP will strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I assure the people that all issues being faced by them will be resolved,” he said.

Naveen Goyal, fighting as an Independent, said that the people should choose a candidate who was independent of political affiliations. “I will work only for the people of Gurugram and serve them in the best possible manner. I assure the people that issues pertaining to basic infrastructure and civic amenities will be resolved on priority,” he said.