Eyeing Haryana’s CM post, Rao Inderjit Singh blows the trumpet before assembly elections

Rao Inderjit Singh who defeated actor Raj Babbar in a close contest from the Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency recently met his supporters in Rewari, thanking them for their support Rao asked his supporters “Who will be the next Chief Minister of Haryana”, to which his emphatic supporters replied, “Rao Inderjit”! Now Rao Inderjit Singh’s claim on Haryana’s CM post before the assembly elections of Haryana has started a new debate in the power corridors of the state.

Rao Inderjit Singh, born in Rampura, graduated from Delhi University's Hindu College and pursued a legal education before entering politics at 26. Rao who served as Gurugram MP in Modi 2.0 was also the Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Planning and Statistics and Programme Implementation as well as MoS for Corporate Affairs. If we talk about Rao’s political journey, the veteran politician made his Assembly poll debut from Rewari’s Jatusana on the ticket of the Vishal Haryana Party founded by his father Rao Birender, which later merged with the Congress in 1978.

Rao Inderjit changed his loyalties from Congress to BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and worked as the key force of BJP in the Ahirwal belt. The five-time parliamentarian and four-time MLA, Rao won a record fifth term from Gurugram and overall his sixth term as MP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.  Rao earlier too openly wished for the CM post and sees it with the pride of South Haryana.

In a TV interview, last year, he revealed all, stating, “There is no doubt that in our region people have made and broken Chief Ministers. In 2014, if our people had not gotten together, the BJP would not have come to power. Our people protested that it was wrong to stand with Khattar, but no one listened and made him the CM. I harbored the ambition to become the CM and people shared these sentiments. When the government was formed, people felt that their leader was not chosen, but it was the party’s decision, and we had to follow it’’.

Rao Inderjit Singh talking to his supporters yesterday said that the assembly elections in Haryana might take place before the scheduled time and all the supporters must work as a team for that. Notably, earlier Rao Inderjit in the rally held in support of Dharamabir Singh openly criticized Bhupinder Singh Hooda and said “How can Hooda become CM, he can only if we allow him to”.

Continuing his pitch for the CM post, Rao yesterday said that only South Haryana can lead him to the post and his supporters should start visiting those who were not happy with him in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Now, as Haryana goes to polls in the next few months, it will be interesting to see how the BJP and others who are eyeing the CM post will react to Rao’s claim.