The Times of India             27.09.2013

Mayor comes out in support of MP, municipal dynamics may change

GURGAON: The recent announcement by Rao Inderjit Singh, Gurgaon MP, that he will not contest the next general elections on the ticket of Congress party is likely to have some ripple effect on the municipal corporation as mayor Vimal Yadav has come out in his support.

Talking to TOI, Yadav said, "Not just me, all my supporters are also with Inderjit Singh. I was never a member of the Congress party and I fought the MCG elections as an independent candidate."

When asked, if he also agreed with Singh's charges that the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government was being partial towards Gurgaon, he said: "The reasons for which Inderjit Singh has quit the party are justifiable. Gurgaon has been ignored by the state government. Elected members have little powers and more than half of the city is still in the control of HUDA".

It's worth noting that Yadav was handpicked for the job by the MP soon after the local elections in 2011. And for Singh's rallies and campaign he has been going from village to village. Since Congress didn't officially field any candidates during the MCG elections, unlike BJP and INLD, most candidates contested independently. They were later taken into the party by the MP. Singh also took the mayor, along with his two deputies Yashpal Batra and Parminder Kataria, to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi after assuming office.

While Batra, senior deputy mayor, refused to comment on the development terming it a "controversial topic", deputy mayor Kataria was more vocal about it. "I don't think a lot will change in the MCG because of the recent development, but I will stand with the leader who cares for Gurgaon. I hope that the development work doesn't get affected because of the politics," said Kataria.

But there is a section within MCG which openly swears by CM Hooda. And it's likely that the political tug war between the two groups will change the way municipal corporation functions. One Hooda-supporter councillor said, "All these days, the MP has been accusing the chief minister of neglecting Gurgaon. Now that he is officially out of the party, let's see how he performs. It looks like nothing but a selfish political move," he said.

Sources within political circles said that mayor Vimal Yadav aspires to fight the forthcoming assembly elections under the leadership of Inderjit Singh. However, when asked, he said, "As of today I am mayor of Gurgaon. I support Singh because he cares for my people. If people have faith in me, I will serve them in whatever way possible."