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.