The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cemented its dominance in Haryana’s political landscape with a commanding performance in the municipal corporation elections, winning nine out of ten mayoral seats.
The results, declared on Wednesday, saw the party wrest Rohtak, a traditional stronghold of Congress stalwart Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
The Congress, which contested the state civic polls on its symbol for the first time, struggled to make an impact and failed to secure a single mayoral seat.
The BJP's mayoral candidates secured victories in Ambala, Gurugram, Sonipat, Rohtak, and Karnal and maintained leads in Faridabad, Panipat, Hisar, and Yamunanagar.
The only exception to the party’s dominance was in Manesar, where independent candidate Inderjeet Yadav triumphed over the BJP's Sunder Lal.
Significant wins
Among the major victories, BJP’s Shailja Sachdeva clinched the Ambala mayoral seat, defeating Congress’s Amisha Chawla by 20,487 votes.
In Gurugram, Raj Rani secured victory, while in Sonipat, BJP leader Rajiv Jain decisively defeated Congress candidate Komal Dewan. Renu Bala Gupta emerged victorious in Karnal, overcoming Congress’s Manoj Wadhwa.
However, the most high-profile contest was in Rohtak, where BJP’s Ram Avtar defeated Congress’s Surajmal Kiloi, marking a symbolic victory for the ruling party in a region long considered Hooda’s political fortress.
The results come as a setback for the Congress, which had retained its grip on Rohtak and Jhajjar in the 2024 Assembly elections, winning seven of eight seats in the region.
Also read: Haryana municipal pollS: CM vows to fulfill 21 resolutions
However, in the civic polls, the party’s lacklustre performance underscored its struggles against the BJP’s organisational strength.
Reacting to the outcome, Bhupinder Hooda downplayed the impact of the municipal elections on his party's prospects.
"Earlier also, the municipal corporations were dominated by the BJP. It could be a setback if we lost the seat, but it was already not with us. The Congress must have gained in some areas, but I did not go anywhere during the elections. I don't think these results will have an impact," Hooda remarked.
Minimal regional challenge
Regional players like the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which fared poorly in the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls, were largely absent from the fray.
Their diminished presence allowed the BJP to consolidate its urban voter base.
With a decisive showing in urban strongholds like Gurugram and Karnal, the BJP has reinforced its electoral supremacy in Haryana. Despite completing a decade in power, the party remains the dominant force in the state’s politics.
The municipal elections, held on 2 March, witnessed a high-stakes battle, but the BJP's strong grassroots network and electoral machinery ensured a near-clean sweep in the civic polls.
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