‘Traffic, waterlogging and women’s safety are my key concerns’

Gurugram elects BJP's Raj Rani Malhotra as mayor by a record margin. She prioritizes civic amenities, traffic, waterlogging, and women's safety.

Published on: Mar 14, 2025, 05:16:15 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram

The Millennium City electorate has made its choice clear by electing 24 councillors from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across its 36 wards and also electing BJP loyalist Raj Rani Malhotra as the mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). She beat out Congress’ Seema Pahuja by a record margin of 179,485 votes. In an exclusive interview with HT’s Leena Dhankhar, Malhotra discusses her priorities for the constantly evolving city.

Edited excerpts:

You won by a record margin. How do you feel about the victory?

It is a humbling and proud moment for me. I am grateful to the people of Gurugram and the BJP for placing their trust in me. This win is a reflection of their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. I want to assure every citizen that I will work tirelessly to resolve their issues and ensure that Gurugram reaches new heights.

What are your top priorities as mayor?

My focus is on improving civic amenities, traffic congestion, waterlogging, and women’s safety. Gurugram has grown rapidly, and with that, urban challenges have increased. We need better roads, improved waste management, and effective drainage systems. Traffic is a major issue, and I will work with the administration to introduce smart traffic solutions. Waterlogging is another key concern, and we will ensure that stormwater drains are cleaned and maintained.

What was the key to your victory?

The people of Gurugram have seen BJP’s development model and trust our leadership. The support from my party and the tireless efforts of BJP workers helped secure this victory.

Can you elaborate on how you plan to tackle the traffic problem?

Gurugram needs a long-term traffic management plan. I will work with the traffic police and urban planners to introduce smart traffic lights, better road infrastructure, and dedicated cycling and pedestrian lanes. We also need better public transportation.

Women’s safety is a growing concern. What steps will you take in this regard?

The safety of women and children is my priority. We will increase CCTV surveillance, improve streetlighting, and deploy more women police personnel in public areas. I will also push to strengthen women’s helplines and emergency response teams. Awareness campaigns and self-defence workshops for women will also be encouraged.

What is your message to the people of Gurugram?

I want to assure every resident that I will work with transparency, dedication, and integrity. My priority is to solve the issues that matter the most to people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

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