Gurugram: For London-returned fashion designer Nauksham Chaudhary from Punhana in the Mewat region of Haryana, development of roads and provision of education and basic amenities are among the top priorities in this Muslim-dominated assembly constituency.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ) greenhorn candidate is facing a stiff challenge in the upcoming assembly polls from Mohammad Iliyas of the Congress, who won the seat in 2009.
She is facing criticism for arriving in the constituency and in India just a month back.
Chaudhary studied in Italy, London
Chaudhary, 27, who owns two luxury cars as per her poll affidavit, is a Miranda House, Delhi, alumnus, who has also studied in Italy and in London before returning to India just a month ago.
Her family is influential in Mewat, one of the most backward areas in the state with a 90 per cent Muslim population.
“I left my excellent career in the private sector for the people of Mewat. I want to serve by birthplace as it is one of the backward and underdeveloped areas in the periphery of the national capital,” an excited Nauksham Chaudhary told mediapersons.
“I believe women empowerment through education will help the overall development of Mewat,” she said.
Area deprived of basic amenities: Chaudhary
She expressed surprise that even after 70 years of Independence, this area continues to remain deprived of basic amenities.
“I wanted to work for this area and its people, so I returned from London,” she said, adding that she has received support from across communities.
“The people here are fed up with the previous legislators as they have done nothing for the development of the area,” she said.
Responding to criticisms of being an outsider, she said: “I am not an outsider for Punhana, My father (R.S. Chaudhary) is a retired judge and hails from Pema Khera village in Punhana. My mother (Ranjit Kaur) is a state government employee.”
Educational background of Chaudhary
Nauksham is a graduate and postgraduate in history from Miranda House, Delhi University, and has done a super-specialty in luxury brand management and fashion business from the Istituto Marangoni, Milan, Italy, and has a lucrative job of Rs 1 crore per annum in London.
The Punhana seat was won by an independent Rahish Khan in the 2014 assembly elections and is a part of the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat.
According to the report published in NDTV, in the past elections, BJP had not performed well in the constituency where 80% of the voters are Muslims.
However, Ms. Chaudhary is confident of winning the seat.