Congress’s mayoral candidate Sudha Bhardwaj (65) feels corruption is the biggest issue in this election. Setting up a garbage processing plant for the city and shifting liquor vends from residential areas are her main priorities. She speaks to TOI:If elected, what are your priority areas?My main priorities will be setting up a garbage processing plant for the city and shifting liquor vends from residential areas as it leaves a bad impact on residents and young children. As far as other issues are concerned, corruption is the biggest one. Besides, providing clean water, fixing sewerage problems, good roads, safety of women by ensuring working streetlights and CCTV cameras, and curbing stray dog and cattle menace by opening more sheds are the other issues, which will be addressed.There are previous manifesto promises, including curbing stray dog, cattle menace and rehabilitation of slums, among others, that have not been fulfilled?. What new will you do? It is the Congress that made ‘Ashiyana’ residential complexes for the homeless. When those staying in slums have power and electricity connections and are also voting, then how come they call those colonies illegal? They need to be rehabilitated. It is the work of the govt. For stray animal menace, we will open more sheds and centres for them. For stray dogs, effective sterilisation programmes will be run. Not just unfulfilled promises, even two cases of embezzlement of funds surfaced in the MC. How will you stop that from happening again?Why put money in private banks? There are no such issues with nationalised banks. Funds should be deposited there. But their (BJP’s) intention is not right.How is this election different for you? (She is fighting the election for the first time)I have been state Mahila Congress president for seven years. I have also been an election observer in Punjab. Besides, I have been involved in elections in Delhi and Rajasthan. So, I have experience in this regard.There are other candidates also contesting for the post of mayor. Your take on them?AAP and INLD are no competition. There is a fight only between the BJP and Congress. BJP’s mayor is frightened. They have no election issues, thus, they are talking irrelevant things.There are talks about making “triple-engine” govt?The Panchkula municipapl corporation has a budget of about Rs 400 crore, and it is itself a govt. It is an independent body. So, it is not going to be affected by this factor.What is a challenge for you in this election?As such, there is no challenge, all works will be done with clear intention.
