Haryana polls: Can BJP retain Gurugram amid civic challenges

With Assembly polls just twenty days away, poor civic amenities in Gurugram may pose a serious challenge to the BJP, which has maintained a stronghold in the city for over a decade. The party has won three consecutive Assembly terms since 2014 from the city. However, in recent years, the city’s deteriorating infrastructure has become a source of public frustration, with residents frequently venting their displeasure online. The pressing question is: Will Gurugram, a BJP bastion for 10 years, remain loyal to the saffron party despite the civic setbacks?
Gurugram consists of four constituencies — Gurgaon, Badshahpur, Sohna, and Pataudi. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP won three of these, while an independent candidate, Rakesh Daultabad, won in Badshahpur.
Congress has fielded Mohit Grover, a former independent candidate who garnered nearly 50,000 votes in the 2019 elections, as their contender for the upcoming polls. In a sharp critique of the BJP’s governance on civic issues, Grover recently tweeted, “BJP’s promises float away with every raindrop,” alluding to the city’s persistent challenges with waterlogging and traffic congestion.
His remarks strike a chord with many frustrated residents, as these long-standing problems continue to disrupt daily life, raising questions about the current administration’s effectiveness.
Gurugram has repeatedly failed to cope with monsoons, leaving roads waterlogged and traffic paralysed. Even posh areas like Golf Course Road suffered during heavy rains, with pictures of flooded streets making rounds on social media. Meanwhile, in older parts of the city, including Sadar Bazar and Gurdwara Road, frequent traffic jams due to poor drainage have become the norm. The city’s chronic struggles with rain management have led residents to sarcastically rename it “Jalgram,” reflecting their growing frustration with inadequate civic planning.
The BJP is facing mounting criticism over Gurugram’s civic failures, with voices from both within and outside the party expressing dissatisfaction. Prominent political commentator Suhel Seth has taken to social media, openly addressing the Haryana Chief Minister and condemning the government’s inability to address the city’s infrastructure issues.
Adding to the criticism, GL Sharma, a former BJP vice president who recently joined Congress, accused the administration of neglect and financial mismanagement. He pointed to long-delayed projects, including the Sheetla Mata Mandir construction and the incomplete Civil Hospital, as symbols of the BJP’s failure to prioritise basic public services.
“During my tenure as Vice President of the BJP, I made efforts to bring various civic issues to the attention of the party leadership. However, these concerns were not adequately addressed. As a result, I have decided to return to my previous party, Congress,” said GL Sharma.
Local resident associations also voiced their concerns. Sandeep Foggat, President of the Gurgaon Greens Condominium Association, highlighted sanitation worker strikes and uncollected garbage piling up as clear indications of the city’s failing civic management. He further criticised the government’s inability to deliver on crucial infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the much-needed bus stand and essential roads. Foggat described the last decade under BJP rule as “infertile” for Gurugram’s development, underscoring a widespread sense of stagnation and neglect in the city’s urban planning efforts.
In defence, BJP leader Kamal Yadav stated that Gurugram is still a developing city and the issues that it is facing are being addressed by the administration. He conceded that issues like the failure of the Eco Greens sanitation contractor have been problematic but assured that corrective measures have been implemented to rectify these problems.
As criticism over Gurugram’s civic mismanagement intensifies, the upcoming election will serve as a critical test for the BJP. It will determine whether the party can maintain its dominance or if voters, frustrated with the current state of infrastructure and governance, will opt for a change in leadership.