Polls: How BJP gained dominance in Gurugram?

Gurugram: Among various highlights of BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections, there was also a point that how the party has gained such a stronghold in Haryana­—a state where the party did not even exist in 2009.

Gurugram can best be described as the seat where the saffron party always bet on and ultimately it was this seat which ultimately led to BJP, gaining a stronghold in the rest of the state.

It was in 1996 when the BJP for the first time won from the Gururgam seat. BJP then had fielded Colonel Ram Singh against Rao Birender Singh who is coincidentally the father of the winning candidate Rao Inderjit Singh who on Thursday had a victory margin over 3.5 lakh votes.

Colonel Singh was instrumental in ensuring BJP win for the first time in the belt when he defeated Rao Birender Singh in 1996 General elections.

This is for the last time Rao Birender Singh contested in the General elections.

In1998, his son Rao Inderjit Singh contested from Congress and won. His victory was shortlived as in 1999 he was defeated by Sudha Yadav from BJP who besides being a tall leader of the saffron party is also the widow of Sukhbir Singh Yadav, a martyr in Kargil war.

From 2013 BJP made a strategy shift and began inducting various tall leaders of South Haryana into its fold. Besides Rao Inderjit Singh there was also Rao Narbir Singh who is presently the Badshahpur MLA.

Interestingly Prime Minister Narendra Modi started in 2014 Lok Sabha campaign from Rewari whwere large number of ex-Army men reside.

It is here he made the promise that if elected he will implement the one rank one pension scheme.

Modi factor and the presenc of Rao Inderjit resulted in the victory for BJP. This was again extended in the vidhan sabha elections where Umesh Aggarwal won to set the record by winning over the largest margin.

"Even though local issues matter, the electorate of Gurgram realise that it is the national issue for which we vote for and that is whyBJP has alway been a strong force in Gururgam," said Jatin Yadav the city electorate.