Vardhan is one of us, say Badshahpur voters

New Delhi: "We see a ray of hope in Vardhan Yadav. He is young, energetic and dynamic," said Vijay Yadav, a voter from Badshahpur constituency in Haryana.

The main contest in Badshahpur is between 33-year-old Vardhan Yadav of the Congress and 63-year-old Rao Narbir Singh of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Both candidates belong to the Ahir (Yadav) caste, which is classified under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. Numerically, Yadavs constitute about 5-6% of Haryana's population and are concentrated in Gurugram-Rewari- Mahendragarh region, also known as the Ahirwal belt. Out of the total 90 seats in the state, Yadavs are influential in 11 constituencies. Badshahpur, adjoining Gurugram, is one of those.

While Rao Narbir is a veteran politician who became Haryana's youngest home minister at the age of 26 in 1987, Vardhan appears to have gained an upper hand due to his promises and connection with the people.

“The battle here is clearly between Vardhan Yadav and Rao Narbir Singh, but the inclination is towards Vardhan. He has been actively engaging with the people, addressing their concerns, and assuring us with solutions. His promises are not just words, we have seen him take action in our area," said Rajesh, a resident of Rampura.

"People here see in him a leader who understands their problems and is committed to fixing them," he added.

This is Vardhan's first electoral battle while Rao Narbir is a veteran with three terms in the Haryana assembly.

Highlighting the ongoing issues and the need for a change in the current political scenario, Poonam, a female voter of Nurpur Jharsa, said: "Over the last 5-6 years, education has taken a nosedive. The government schools in our area, which only provide education up to the 5th standard, have seen a steady decline in student numbers. There are barely any universities, and healthcare facilities are woefully inadequate. The local government hospital is overwhelmed, and in emergencies, you can’t even rely on it because they lack basic facilities. Private hospitals are far too expensive for most of us."

Satpal of Kaliyawas village was equally enraged due to the lack of opportunities in the constituency during the past ten years of the BJP rule.

“The primary source of income for many here is rent or running small shops and private sector jobs are scarce. There is also an underpass used by students to get to school that is always filthy and waterlogged. People are tired of these problems not being addressed, and that is why the youth, in particular, are rallying behind Congress," he observed.

"Vardhan Yadav has vowed to improve primary and secondary education, ensure cleanliness, provide better medical facilities, and fix the roads. More importantly, he has focused on women's safety and pledged to create employment opportunities. People feel like he is one of them—someone who not only understands their problems but is genuinely working towards resolving them," said Deepika, a resident of Sikandarpur Ghosi village in Badshahpur constituency.

While Vardhan has brought out his vision document for Badshahpur that includes his roadmap for infrastructure development, improving healthcare and education facilities apart from smart civic amenities, Rao Narbir too has vowed to address issues of water scarcity, traffic congestion and improving healthcare facilities.

But there are few takers for his bunch of promises.

"This time, the winds of change are blowing in the Congress' favour. People are fed up with the current state of affairs and want leaders like Vardhan Yadav, who promise tangible change and have the people’s trust," said Ramvir Yadav of Kherki Daula.

Will young Vardhan trump veteran Rao Narbir be known on October 8 when the votes polled on October 5 are going to be counted?