The Bharatiya Janata Party has broken off the mold to choose an exceptional candidate -- Nauksham Chaudhary -- to represent Haryana’s Muslim dominated Mewat district.
The 27-year-old is fighting for Punhana seat against Congress’s Mohammad Iliyas, who won from the seat in 2009. Moreover, BJP has had a poor track record in the district, where the Modi wave has proven ineffective thus far.
Though Iliyas claims he doesn’t feel threatened by Chaudhary’s candidature, and will focus his energy only on upgrading education in the area, her profile paints a formidable picture for him.
Unlike most election contenders the region has seen in the past, the BJP candidate happens to be a History graduate from the prestigious Miranda House college in Delhi, with a Masters’ Degree in Luxury Brand Management from Italy and another degree in Communications from London.
She returned to India only in September because she was invested in developing the area and interested in joining politics, as per a report by NDTV.
Chaudhary’s mother is a senior state government official working for the Revenue Department, while her father is a retired judge.
The BJP candidate was working in the private sector as a public relations executive for some of the biggest brands in the world. However, being a native of Mewat, she couldn’t ignore how underdeveloped and backward the area is.
Speaking about the same, Chaudhary said: “Politically, the scenario is such that criticism is on basis of religion and leaders tend to exploit the masses. I want to work for women empowerment in the area and for education. My parents have taught me that to fare well in life, one ought to be educated.”
The saffron party, which has for long been trying to win this seat, sees a beacon of hope in her. The Punhana seat comes under Mewat district, which has about 5 lakh voters. Almost 80% of the electorate are Muslims, the remaining being Hindus.
During the Haryana Assembly elections in 2014, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resounding popularity, the party failed miserably in the three assembly seats of the district, namely Punhana, Ferozepur Jhirka, and Nuh.
However, Chaudhary’s confidence in turning the fortunes of the party has fuelled the hopes. She believes: “The commoners have understood that it is the BJP which is forming the government both at national and state levels and they’ve understood that if they want development and any representation in the Vidhan Sabha, they will have to choose BJP.”
The 90-member Haryana Assembly goes to polls on October 21 and the results will be announced on October 24.
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