A massive rally, and a show of support that dwarfed anything the opponents could coble together, amassed at the Gaushala Maidan for Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot helped close the phase of public campaigning. Now, the power is in the hands of the voters.

The sea of INLD green and the Chashma (Spectacles) stretching as far as the eye could see sailed thru the major parts of the city, enthralling the viewers with an awesome show of support. The march started at the Anaaj Mandi and wound its way amidst the beating of drums and dancing by supporters.

Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot led the march to the Gaushala Maiden where he was joined on the stage by actors Yukta Mukhi and Sanjay Kapoor. To make a point about the chashma, both actors took off their sunglasses and reminded people of the election symbol - chasma yani spectacles.

Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot flanked by Miss World Yukta Mukhi and Actor Sanjay Kapoor at a massive rally in the Gaushala Maidan on Feburary 01, 2005.

Distilling the messages from campaign speeches that he has delivered hundreds of times to small and large groups, he reminded the sea of supporters that the campaign was on the ascent. Now it was not a question of victory, but it was a question of whether it would be by a record margin.

Charging his opponent with incompetence he said that someone who did nothing for Gurgaon when he was in power for 15 years, was now trying to to divide people on basis of caste, creed, and greed. "But, the public of Gurgaon is smart," said Bhai Gehlot. "The public knows who has worked."

"The citizens of Gurgaon know that I have been among them throughout the last five years. They know that I have travelled to every nook and corner to listen and solve their problems, and they know that I have stood should-to-shoulder with them. And they know that the development works of the current administration have happened in every sector, every village, and every dhani. I was the representative of all of Gurgaon and not only the people who voted for me - and I have shown that with my deeds."

Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot addresses the last rally and asks for continued support for the development and progress tasks that were put into motion in the last 5 years. Gurgaon and become NUMBER 1 today, and must stay at Number 1. Incidentally, the name of Bhai Gopi is also NUMBER 1 on the Electronic Voting Machine, and that is what you should press. Chashma yani Spectacles.

"And what is this hava? I have faced these havas in all the previous elections, and against the same opponent since 1991, but the citizens have always supported me in increasingly large numbers. And now that they can compare my 5 years of track record with the opponents 15 years of non-performance and rest assured that their vote was for the right person. And I promise, that the developemnt in the last 5 years is just the begining, and the next 5 years are going to be historical in their impact."

Attracting mammoth crowds, that the state leaders or even national leaders roped in by the opponents could not draw, Bhai closed the elections campaign of crowds that were many times larger than those of his opponents. Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot demonstrated convincingly that the tide had now turned. The mood of the electorate was now set - and the electorate had now chosen Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot.

Bhai Gopi has now addressed his last rally and sung his last song, as the public campaign came to an end last evening. Now, the decision is in the hands of the voters. And, all indications are that the voters will return Bhai Gopi to the Vidhan Sabha with a thumping majority.

that will start from the Anaaj Mandi and crisscrossing the whole city & main Sadar Bazaar, will culminate into a public rally at the Gaushala Maidan - just like it was done during the last time.

It promises to be the definitive public display of the deep and broad support that he enjoys in Gurgaon. Many mega stars and top heroines will grace the occasion.

A anxious crowd awaits Bhai Gopi Chand as he criss-crosses the Gurgaon constituency on his campaign trail.

In a constituency which has over 2,90,000 voters, it is a race against time for all candidates. But Bhai Gopi is very fortunate for it is not the first time he is going back to the voters after 5 years. To every village, every sector, every dhani, which he has visited many times during his 5 years as an MLA, it seems that it is less of him asking for support and more of an opportunity for supporters eager to their show their enthusiasm for him. Every where I followed him, I could see him getting energized as he saw the "josh" of the crowds that gathered to receive him.

As you can see from Bhai Gopi's schedule published on the site there are meetings scheduled every hour or half-an-hour, but what is missing is the tens of meetings and trips that get squeezed into the empty (and not so empty) gaps. Bhai knows that it is personal interaction with the citizens, in small and large groups that matters most and that is what he seeks.

A crowd of the village elders listens to the MLA who always stood shoulder to shoulder with them thru thick and thin, through oppposition and administration, and who has now returned to their midst for their blessings.

Rushing from one meeting to another, from one rally to another, seeking blessings from the elderly, and resetablishing bonds with supporters and well-wishers, seems to invigorate Bhai.

And every time he reminds them about the Chashma symbol, and that is on the top of the voting machine. The symbol is number 1, and the party behind the symbol has today made Gurgaon NUMBER 1. And that is where it should stay - at Number One.

Chashma, yani Spectacles.

This is not a new contest he reminds the crowds. It is now definitely a two-way race and his opponent was in power/MLA/Minister for over 15 years - and what does he have to show except empty promises of what he will do. The track-record is weak but the promises are galore. And without batting an eyelid Bhai Gopi tells people to evaluate his 5 years and his opponents 15 years - and see which indicates the path to a brighter future.

And what a whirlwind he has been this five years. What the crowds vouched for, and I can second, is that:

• There was easy access to Bhai. Bhai has not only travelled to every village, every dhani, and every sector, asking residents about what the government could do for them - he could be reached at his house or on the road by everyone.
  Bhai saab addressed both small and intimate gatherings of supporters, as well as large and mammoth rallies.

• Work has been done, and promises have been kept: No one can deny the developement work that has propelled Gurgaon to the NUMBER 1 City in India, and so the opponents either try to divert the discussion elsewhere, or start poetical but confused monologues about the "meaning" of developemnt.
• The scope of development has been broad and deep: The day Bhai Gehlot won the last elections he declared that he was the representative of "all" Gurgaon and not only those people who had voted for him. And he proved his words in deed too. Ask him and he can roll of projects and work in every sector village, and down to even the dhanis and firnees.
• Inclusive Nature: Unlike the other candidates who either disparge the newcomers to Gurgaon, or those who have isolationist streaks like the Shiv Sena - Bhai has a very inclusive outlook. He knows that we need employment generators and we need to prepare Gurgaonites with education, infrastructure, and opportunity to become manpower and brainpower needed by them.

And his style seems to have touched many hearts. Everyday I see living proofs of them on the campaign trail, and I fear that he has touched my heart too making it hard to maintain journalistic integrity with which I had begun this journey with him ...

Khuli Baat, program by Gurgaon Productions in which the candidates for the Assembly elections participated.

A moderated discussion, and question-answer session "Khuli Baat" was held in Aggarwal Dharamsala, between the contestants for the Assembly Elections 2005 for Gurgaon constituency.

The participants were INLD's Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot, Congress's Dharambir Guaba, BJP's Sudha Yadav, CPI' Subhash Chand Diwan, GRP's Col Rattan Singh, and independent Satish Maratha.

INLD's Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot.

Answering the opening question itself Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot staked claim to support from the Gurgaon citizens for next five years on basis of development. He pointed out that Gurgaon is the NUMBER 1 City as measured by an index of a Washington (USA) based company, and beats all other Indian cities.

When asked to rebut Mr. Gehlot's claim, Mr. Gauba descended into a strange monologue - with a raspy voice - about the decaying law and order. He was stopped midway in his soliloquy by the moderator, Praveen Sharma.

Congress' Dharmabir Guaba.

Sudha Yadav, reminiscent of the famous Clinton quip about what is the meaning of "is", questioned the meaning of "Vikas." And most of the time she sat with her arms tightly crossed across the front, and with a smug smile and distant look. A little later into the program she blurred the boundaries between Delhi & Gurgaon and started talking about Gurgaon's development being tied to Delhi's development in a slavish way. It was left to Mr. Gehlot to come back strongly and remind her that the elected representative was supposed to represent Gurgaon - not Delhi or NCR.

BJP's Sudha Yadav.

And Mr. Gehlot then showed his nuanced understanding of Gurgaon. Even though he was parochial to Gurgaon's development, he pointed out the he was for an inclusive Gurgaon. It was a Gurgaon which would welcome new people from outside, even as it developed the capabilities and education skills of people within. Mr Guaba, uncharacteristic to the inclusive stand of his party at the national level argued for a Gurgaon that was hostile to newcomers. The old blue blood, in his view, were the rightful heirs of Gurgaon and had to be favored. Mr. Gauba forgot that when he was in power for 3 terms he had himself shafted the "rightful" heirs of Gurgaon.

Mr. Guaba seemed cantekerous throughout the program, just like he was at his press conference when he threatened his own party's national leaders into giving the Gurgaon ticket to him. Mr. Chautala has often on the campaign trail alleged that Congress party candidates have purchased their tickets. During the program it emerged that the major benefit that Mr. Guaba was trying to get by seeking his party's ticket was to associate himself with the well-appreciated deed by Sonia Gandhi where she refused the Prime Minister's seat. And Mr. Gehlot strongly criticized the stand of Congress where Capt Amarinder Singh had choked the life-line of Haryana - SYL Canal.

The CPI candidate did not deny Mr. Gehlot his stake for the claim of development, but then descended into a rant against privatisation and "hire & fire." Later Mr. Gehlot pointed out that the privatization is a central govt issue, and wasn't CPI supporting the Central Govt which was doing just what Mr. Diwan was berating against!

CPI's Subhash Chand Diwan.

An independent candidate Satish Maratha provided an emotional platform and said he was fighting against black money.

Independent candidate Satish Maratha.

GRP's Col Rattan Singh.

Col Rattan had a very confusing theory of 4 Gurgaons. He talked about representing the 3 Gurgaons, but forgot to talk about the 4rth Gurgaon - his Gurgaon! BJP's Sudha Yadav brought up the point like a lance thru Col Ratan Singh's heart that he was candidate based on a resolution of the RWA's, and while talking what he wanted to do, he had forgotten what every single point of what was in the resolution!! Anyway, by the time Col Rattan Singh ended his rant he realized that that he was bashing HUDA and not the State Government, and Mr. Gelhot's stake for the claim of development in Gurgaon had found no serious dissenters. But one thing, that did strike the viewer, was that Col Rattan Singh, unlike what you would expect from his army background, was not inclusive of people coming into Gurgaon from the outside - in fact, he has an isolationist streak like that of the Shiv Sena.

In a pointed rebuttal on Education to BJP's Sudha Yadav Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot pointed out that after 1964 there was a lull in the establishment of higher-education institutions. Only after the INLD Govt came, and after a gap of over 4 decades, were new higher institutions like the Law College, PG College, or Technical College established. And to illustrate the depth of spread of education he pointed out that of 31 Panchayats 18 have Senior Secondary School today.

During the program Mr. Gehlot also pointed out that he saw Chaudhary Devi Lal as his inspiration, and he was proud to carry the flag of INLD that first unfurled by Chaudhary Devi Lal. And he highlighted that it was Devi Lal who brought the government to the door step of the citizens - which today has fructified into "Government At Your Doorstep" and Mr. Gehlot's "Vidhayak At Your Doorstep."

Elaborating Mr. Gehlot said that the development has taken place across all sectors, and across all villages. And he pointed to his secular credentials and said that candidates trying to "divide and win" can never succeed in a progressive city like Gurgaon. He said that only the person who would represent someone in a 22nd storey as equally as a person living in the hole in the ground would win in Gurgaon - and that he was a candidate who would win support of both those. Mr. Gehlot wants to be the bridge between the urban and rural Gurgaon because he knows, that only when they both move ahead together will Gurgaonites truly win, and have the strength to stay as Number 1.

Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot is also the only candidate, and probably the first candidate for Vidhan Sabha in all of India, who has created an interactive website for a two-way communication with the citizens. And having overseen the amazing development of Gurgaon from rural backwaters to the NUMBER 1 urban center in India, he is confident that Gurgaon's voters will vote him to power so that he can continue with the service for all of the citizens.

On January 23, 2005 Bhai Gopi Chand is expected to address a large gathering in the Sector 23 Market at 8:00 PM . Sector 23 RWA president Col M.S Joon will also be in attendance. A presentation of his website, the tool that citizens can use to communicate with him, will also be demonstrated.

We invite all residents from neighboring sectors including Sector 23, 22, 21, and Palam Vihar to listen to Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot.

Mr Gehlot's tone of utterances left no one in doubt that he was raising the bar regarding poll preparedness of the INLD. As if to drive home the point, he asserted that the INLD will win the election once again. Although Mr Gehlot won as an Independent candidate from the Gurgaon Assembly constituency in the last election, he is an INLD stalwart.

It was clear in the election that the entire INLD cadre was behind him and was instrumental in getting the BJP nominee defeated. It is an open secret that his allegiance for the INLD is as strong as it ever was, even after he became the Deputy Speaker.

He also referred to the mini-secretariat in Gurgaon, set up at a cost of Rs 14 crore. Taking on the opponents of the INLD, he said that they were unnerved by the development works done by the present government. To a question on the dismal showing of the INLD during the last parliamentary election in which both the sons of Mr Om Prakash Chautala lost and the INLD drew blank in all the 10 parliamentary seats, Mr Gehlot said that the issues involved in the Assembly elections would be different. Referring to the Gurgaon Assembly seat, he said that he would win comfortably not on the basis of slogans but on account of development works. He said that he was instrumental, with the "indulgence" of Mr Chautala, in implementing development works for his constituency.

Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot and his two party colleagues reached the mini-secretariat to file their nomination papers in an impressive procession led by Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, son of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. The procession passed through the main Sadar market of the city.

Addressing a gathering before the procession, Mr Ajay Chautala came down heavily on the Congress saying that the party which alleged the INLD leadership of indulging in dynastic rule has become victim of the same malaise. He alleged that the Congress tickets in Haryana were bought by the aspirants. Those denied party ticket have taken to streets.

He said the INLD would seek votes on the basis of its performance in the last five years. The Congress, on the other hand, has nothing to its credit especially in the past six months of its rule at the Centre. Prices of essential commodities have shot up on account of wrong policies of the Congress-led government at the Centre, he added.

Bhai Gehlot said that Congress was fully confused and unable to feild a suitable candidate to contest against him. And in the current situation he has aleady won the half battle from Mr Gauba whom he defeated last time in state assembly.

Bhai Gopi Chand Gehlot further added that all those who failed to get Congress ticket have filed independent nominations and thay will eat into each others vote.

Meanwhile, six Independents filed their nominations papers today from the Gurgaon Assembly constituency taking up the tally of the nominations so far filed to eight.

With the blessings of people and INLD's energetic leader, Shri Om Prakash Chautala, Gurgaon area will become a city not only of the highest national standards but also of international standards. To realize this dream Mr. Gehlot has been applying himself and all his resources to this task with imagination, dedication, and total commitment.