Rao Narbir Singh, Arti Rao represent south Haryana in new cabinet

Gurugram, the largest city in Haryana by population and revenue, will be represented in the state cabinet by Badshahpur legislator Rao Narbir Singh. The new state cabinet was sworn in on Thursday under the leadership of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and several chief ministers of NDA-ruled states were present at the swearing-in ceremony, in which 11 cabinet ministers and two ministers of state took oath of office.

Another key inclusion in the state cabinet was Ateli MLA Arti Singh Rao, the daughter of Gurgaon MP and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, a key political player in south Haryana and a prominent leader of the Ahirwal region.

In the previous BJP dispensation led by Saini, Sohna MLA Sanjay Singh was included in the cabinet.

In the last five years, Gurgaon, Badshahpur, Sohna and Pataudi assembly constituencies witnessed civic disintegration and poor execution of infrastructure projects, which caused concerns among voters.

Badshahpur, in Gurugram district, has the maximum number of voters in Haryana. In fact, BJP’s pick from Badshahpur, Rao Narbir Singh’s entire political campaign in the run-up to the assembly polls focussed on the fact that Gurugram lacked a share in governance from 2014 to 2019, and his victory was necessary to bring back development in this region. He was a minister in the cabinet from 2014 to 2019 and recalled the work done then as part of his poll campaign.

After taking oath, Rao Narbir Singh reiterated his commitment to delivering on the promises he made to the people of Gurugram and the state.

On Thursday, he said that he will ensure the city becomes cleaner, greener and free of garbage regardless of the portfolio he is assigned.

“People have placed their trust in me, and I will not let them down. My priority is to ensure that the city gets a much-needed makeover and becomes a symbol of cleanliness. I am determined to make Gurugram a model city by addressing issues like garbage disposal, waste management and overall urban hygiene,” Singh said.

The Badshahpur MLA said that his top priority will be to ensure that the city undergoes a transformation. “Gurugram will see an upgrade in infrastructure and facilities. Clean streets, modern waste management systems and beautification projects are on my agenda,” Singh said.

Apart from his focus on cleanliness, Singh made it clear that corruption-free governance will also be a central aspect of his ministerial duties. “No corruption will be tolerated under my watch,” he said.

Arti Rao, who made her debut as an MLA from the Ateli assembly seat, took oath as a cabinet minister on Thursday. Rao is the daughter of Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh and she carries forward his legacy of being a representative of the Ahirwal region.

In the 2019 assembly election also Arti Rao was a contender for the party ticket but she did not get the BJP ticket. In this election, she won with a slim margin of 2,500 votes and her supporters alleged that strong efforts were made to ensure her defeat in the election to undermine Rao Inderjit Singh.

After taking oath as a minister, she said that she will focus on development of the state, and ensure growth of the Ateli constituency.

“I am thankful to the party organisation and leadership for giving me this responsibility. I will work for the development of the state,” she said.