Congress nominees, independents file papers in Gurugram, Badshahpur
Congress MP Deepinder Singh Hooda, who also addressed the large gathering asked the people of Gurugram to vote for Congress candidate Mohit Grover and Vardhan Yadav in Badshahpur to ensure that the party forms a strong government in the state
Gurugram: With just a day left for the nomination process to close for the Haryana assembly elections, several key candidates in Gurugram, Badshahpur and other constituencies in south Haryana filed their nominations on Wednesday. In Gurugram, Mohit Grover of the Congress filed his nomination papers in the presence of senior Congress leader and MP Deepinder Hooda, while independent candidate Kumudini Daultabad held a car rally before filing her nomination in Badshahpur. BJP rebel Naveen Goyal also held a large public gathering at the Jail Complex Ground, before filing his nomination papers at the mini-secretariat for the Gurugram constituency.
Mohit Grover of the Congress, who filed his nomination for the Gurugram constituency later addressed a large rally in Jacobpura and appealed for support from the people and promised to transform the city. (HT PHOTO)
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Mohit Grover of the Congress, who filed his nomination for the Gurugram constituency later addressed a large rally in Jacobpura and appealed for support from the people and promised to transform the city. “If the people of Gurugram support me, I will change the picture and situation of Gurugram in the next 5 years. My priorities will be development and public welfare, and I will work tirelessly to improve the lives of every citizen,” Grover said.
He said that in the last ten years, the condition of both old and New Gurugram had deteriorated and a change in government was the need of the hour. “The Congress government will bring development and growth in Gurugram,” he said.
Congress MP Deepinder Singh Hooda, who also addressed the large gathering said that winds of change are blowing in the air, and Congress will return to power in Haryana on October 8. “The BJP government has turned this state into a ‘portal pradesh’ with nothing happening on the ground. Once Congress comes to power it will ensure 300 units of free power to consumers, ₹6,000 monthly pension to senior citizens, gas cylinders at ₹500 and several other pro-poor schemes that have been stopped by the present government,” he said.
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Hooda asked the people of Gurugram to vote for Congress candidate Mohit Grover and Vardhan Yadav in Badshahpur to ensure that the party forms a strong government in the state.
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Hooda asked the people of Gurugram to vote for Congress candidate Mohit Grover and Vardhan Yadav in Badshahpur to ensure that the party forms a strong government in the state.
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Kumudini Rakesh Daultabad files papers from Badshahpur
Kumudini Rakesh Daultabad, wife of late Badshahpur MLA, Rakesh Daultabad, who is contesting as an independent candidate, on Wednesday held a large roadshow in Badshahpur before filing her nomination papers.
The roadshow started at 10 am and passed through key locations in the constituency, including Farrukhnagar, Dhankot, and Badshahpur, before culminating at Vatika Chowk.
Addressing the rally, Kumudini Rakesh Daultabad said that she and her late husband, Rakesh Daultabad, shared a deep connection with the people of Badshahpur. “This is not just a roadshow, it is a reflection of the 27 years of service and hard work put in by Rakesh Daultabad, and the commitment of our team to the progress of this region. We have been on the ground, working for real development, and that is why I am here, standing with the people today,” she said.
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Kumudini also said that several works which were started during the tenure of Rakesh Daultabad such as metro project, preventing waterlogging in thousands of acres along Najafgarh drain, and other work will be completed by her. “These works are top priority and will be completed. I appeal to you to support me as you supported my husband in 2019,” she said.
Naveen Goyal files nomination from Gurugram
Naveen Goyal, who was a strong contender for the BJP ticket filed his nomination on Wednesday, asserting that people of the city had supported and asked him to fight the election. Kicking off his campaign with a large rally at the Jail Complex Ground, Goyal marched with his supporters to the mini-secretariat for filing his nomination. He organised a grand foot march through Gurugram’s markets before officially filing his nomination.
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Addressing a large public gathering, Goyal said, “My politics is not for personal power but to make the Gurugram Assembly the number one in the country. It is my dream to make Gurugram a leader in education and employment. We will work to ensure that, like Indore this city is known for cleanliness.”
Several former BJP councillors and leaders took the stage to express their support for Goyal, along with representatives from the Punjabi community and 36 fraternities.
Filing his nomination as an independent candidate, Goyal remarked, “Even though I do not have the symbol of a political party, if the people of Gurugram vote for me in large numbers, it won’t matter which party forms the government.”
Abhishek Behl is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times, Gurugram bureau. With over a decade of experience in journalism, he reports on Gurugram's rapid urban transformation, covering the city's changing infrastructure, governance, and planning landscape. His reporting spans major civic agencies, such as the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Behl has reported on key urban development issues such as RRTS projects, metro expansion, road and highway projects, water supply, drainage, mobility, environmental concerns, land use planning, affordable housing, and the city's real estate sector. He closely tracks policy decisions, infrastructure implementation, and their impact on the city and its residents. He also covers regulatory action against illegal constructions, urban flooding, traffic management, and initiatives aimed at improving civic services and sustainable development.
Behl has also written on political developments in south Haryana, focusing on elections and governance. His journalism is driven by fact-based reporting, ground-level coverage, and an understanding of the social and economic dynamics of Gurugram.
Apart from work he is a cyclist and a cricketer and a resident of Palam Vihar since 2010.
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.
