Rao Inderjit Singh: Gurgaon stalwart with finger on pulse of electorate

Chandigarh: Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh has been a stalwart of southern Haryana and a representative from the region's predominant Ahir community.

Having been elected as Lok Sabha MP for the sixth term now — his third as a BJP member -–, Singh over the years has enjoyed unflinching support of Ahirs.

Singh retained Gurgaon seat in the recently concluded general election when he defeated his nearest rival Raj Babbar of the Congress by a margin of more than 75,000 votes.

Over the years, Singh has cultivated the image of a straight shooter and is seen as a no-nonsense person.

Singh, a former Congress member, has also served as MP twice from Mahendragarh, which is known as Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency since 2009.

Across his several stints, Gurgaon saw many developmental projects including an AIIMS in Rewari, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister in February, improvement in road infrastructure, and setting up of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority.

Before joining the BJP ahead of the 2014 general election, Singh had been in the Congress and was already a sitting MP from Gurgaon.

In the Congress regime, Singh had accused the UPA-led Centre of being biased against south Haryana when it came to the allocation of development work, and snapped his nearly four-decade association with the grand old party to join the BJP.

A descendant of Ahir leader Rao Tula Ram, Singh under the previous Modi governments served as Union Minister of State for Statistics & Programme Implementation, Union Minister of State for Planning and Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers.

Under the UPA dispensation, he had served as Minister of State for External Affairs and Defence Production.

Educated at Lawrence School, Sanawar, Singh went on to become a law graduate and a four-term MLA from Haryana between 1977 and 2004.

During the election campaign in Gurgaon for the latest polls, Singh pitched himself as a local leader who understands people's needs and aspirations.

"Mein Gurgaon vasiyo ka parkha hua hoon (I am your tried and tested leader). I have always raised the voice of my constituents. The strength which you give me I use for raising your voice," said the son of former Haryana chief minister late Rao Birender Singh in one of his speeches.