This is an archive article published on May 1, 2024
In Chandigarh, Manish Tewari’s daughter, Sanjay Tandon’s wife step up campaigning
While Ineka has taken a sabbatical from work to help her father Manish Tewari’s Lok Sabha campaign in Chandigarh, Priya has been gathering support from former schoolmates for husband Sanjay Tandon.
With Chandigarh set to vote on June 1, campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections has gathered steam in the constituency which is set to witness a fight between INDIA bloc candidate Manish Tewari and BJP’s Sanjay Tandon. Over the last few days, Tewari’s daughter Ineka and Tandon’s wife Priya have also entered the poll battlefield by campaigning from dawn to dusk, raising issues that they believe will see their candidates win.
Congress MP Manish Tewari’s 26-year-old daughter Ineka, a lawyer and a sports consultant, has taken a sabbatical from work in Delhi to campaign for him. Ineka, who begins her campaign around 8 am after spending some time with her parents, says she is focusing on “addressing the half-truths and lies the Opposition has been spreading” about her father.
“I want to cut through the smokescreen they are creating right off the bat. These stories only serve as a futile attempt to divert from the lack of development and progress this city has witnessed in the last 10 years. I want to encourage the people of this city to demand accountability and to look beyond these fabrications,” Ineka told The Indian Express.
“Youth unemployment and women-centric issues are being completely ignored by the BJP. The BJP is deviating from the key issues. My father has been raising Chandigarh’s issues in Parliament… the transgenders in Panjab University are seeking a separate hostel for long…no one talks about period tax… sanitary napkins are not there in public toilets. I believe the issue of easy access to these is most important,” she added.
Accompanied by Mahila Congress President Nandita Hooda, Ineka attends public meetings, particularly with women’s groups, till 8.30 pm. Ineka has campaigned for her father, the sitting MP from Anandpur Sahib, in the past too. “The Anandpur Sahib campaigning was mostly in a rural area where hyperlocal issues were discussed. Here in Chandigarh, it is an urban area mostly,” she said.
For Tandon’s wife Priya, the day begins at 8 am and ends at 8.30 pm. A former student of Carmel Convent School in Chandigarh, Priya also has support from her schoolmates and her daughters-in-law. “While Sanjay has his different set of meetings, I am reaching out to the women in Chandigarh and seeking their support. That is why I have discussions with the women of the city,” Priya told The Indian Express.
Harpreet Babla, a BJP councillor who accompanies Priya on the campaign trail, said they are focusing on “drawing-room meetings of about 40-50 women”.
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“In my address, I just focus on the kind of man Sanjay is. He embodies honesty, integrity and hard work. He has always helped those who are underprivileged and has always been there with the people of the city whenever they required him,” Priya said.
In her campaign, Priya is also vocal about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schemes and various works carried out at the national level.
Priya says she is overwhelmed by the response she is receiving. “Whenever I request people to extend support and vote for us, they instantly reply, ‘Aapko maangne ki zaroorat hi nahi hai (You don’t need to ask)….we are already with you’. That is the kind of love people are showering. And then that makes me feel that Sanjay must have done a lot of good work for the people and I am really touched,” she said.
Priya, who is a B.Com graduate from Government College Sector 11, later pursued law at Panjab University. She is the daughter of retired Chief Justice of India Justice M M Punchhi, who was a judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court. “Our association with the legal fraternity is also quite old because of my father and we have been connecting with everybody frequently,” Priya added.
Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory.
Professional Background
Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance.
Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows.
Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends:
1. Investigative & Financial Reporting
"Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff.
"Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control.
"Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT.
2. Governance & Constitutional Status
"What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance.
"MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure.
"No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term.
3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment
"Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts.
"UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network.
"Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump.
4. Lifestyle & Local Trends
"Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year.
"After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges.
Signature Beat
Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse.
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