BJP's coalition with JJP left Gurugram in 'civic mess': Rao Narbir Singh

Gurugram: Amid infighting in the BJP for the chief minister's post in Haryana, three-time Cabinet Minister Rao Narbir Singh has said he is not in the CM race and wants to dedicate his efforts and time to improve the conditions in Gurugram, which has turned into a "civic mess due to BJP's coalition with the JJP".

Singh is contesting the Assembly polls from Gurugram's Badhsahpur, the largest constituency in the state.

Narbir Singh, who had defeated veteran Rao Inderjit Singh in 1987, became the youngest to hold the office of the state's home ministry at the age of 26. He also held the transport, food and supply and cooperation, portfolios in the successive governments. Singh was also PWD and forest minister in the first term of the Khattar government in the state.

"I agree Gurugram is a civic mess currently. We have the worst waterlogging, worst roads and traffic crises and the city has turned into a garbage dump. The last five years not just brought the city to a standstill but reversed the pace of development," he told PTI in an interview.

"I blame the coalition for it. We had a majority government from 2014 to 2019 and anybody can vouch for the pace of development but things went downhill since 2019. It was our coalition with the JJP which is to be blamed. The civic infrastructure department was with the JJP and they didn't do anything and people are disappointed that despite the BJP being at helm of affairs, no work has been done," he added.

Singh (63), who was denied ticket by the BJP in 2019 polls, had announced last month that if he is not fielded by the party this time, he would contest from the constituency as a Congress candidate.

Asked about statements by senior party leaders Rao Inderjit Singh and Anil Vij staking claim for the chief minister's post if the BJP wins the Assembly polls, Narbir Singh said, "The central leadership has already announced Nayab Saini as the CM face. I don't think they will change it now. I am not in the race for it.

"Several years ago, I tried to become the CM but now I do not have any misconceptions. I want to focus on Gurugram and I am in the race for a ministerial berth, that's it".

About party's earlier promises of turning Gurugram into Singapore, Singh said, "I have never said I will turn Gurugram into Singapore. Let Gurugram be Gurugram but not in the state it is today." Severe waterlogging, choked traffic, broken roads and garbage dumps are major issues in the constituency which has more than 5.2 lakh voters.

"I have chalked out a plan for an effective drainage system in low-lying areas of Gurugram to avoid waterlogging and zone-wise pickup and treatment of garbage to avoid dump being created at one place. Once elected, I will place these proposals before the government and hopefully in the next two years, we can address these two problems," he said.

"Traffic is a big-big mess. Over 10,000 new private cars get registered in Gurugram every two months. Rapidly increasing vehicles is one factor but bad condition of roads is also one. We need at least 20 signal-free underpasses in the city to control the internal Gurugram traffic and as far as the commute to Delhi is concerned, only an elevated road from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar is the solution.

"(Union) Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also is aware of the Delhi-Gurugram condition and we have discussed it before, will raise a formal request for an elevated road after elections," he added.

Singh is pitted against Congress' Vardhan Yadhav in the constituency. Kumudni Daultabad, wife of incumbent Badshahpur MLA Rakesh Daultabad, is also in the fray. Polling for the 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana is scheduled on October 5 and the counting of votes will be on October 8.