BJP Sweeps Haryana Civic Polls, Wins 9 Out of 10 Municipal Corporations
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a landslide victory in the Haryana civic body elections, securing wins in 9 out of 10 municipal corporations, including Rohtak, a stronghold of Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The elections marked the first time Congress contested state civic polls under its official party symbol, yet the party failed to make any impact.
BJP’s Resounding Victory Across Key Cities
BJP mayoral candidates emerged victorious in Ambala, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Rohtak, Karnal, Faridabad, Panipat, Hisar, and Yamunanagar. The only exception was Manesar, where independent candidate Indrajit Yadav defeated BJP’s Sunder Lal.
Breakdown of Mayoral Contests in Major Municipal Corporations
Karnal Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Renu Bala Gupta (BJP), Manoj Kumar Wadhwa (Congress), Mukesh Raghuwanshi (Independent), Yash Dev (Independent)
- Councilor Seats: 20 total; BJP candidates elected unopposed in 2 wards; 92 candidates contested in remaining 18 wards
- Previous Mayor: Renu Bala Gupta (BJP)
Hisar Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Praveen Popli (BJP), Krishna Kumar Singla (Congress), Hoshiar Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Surendra Kumar, Meera (all Independents)
- Councilor Seats: 20 wards, 116 candidates
- Previous Mayor: Shakuntala Rajliwala (Congress)
Panipat Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Komal Saini (BJP), Savita Garg (Congress), Preetpal Singh Khera (AAP), Kewal Singh (Independent)
- Councilor Seats: 26 wards, 103 candidates
- Previous Mayor: Avneet Kaur (BJP)
Rohtak Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Ram Avatar Valmiki (BJP), Surajmal Kiloi (Congress), Suraj (INLD), Amit Khatak (AAP), Deepak Singh (Independent)
- Councilor Seats: 22 wards, 121 candidates
- Previous Mayor: Manmohan Goyal (BJP)
Gurugram Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Raj Rani Malhotra (BJP), Seema Pahuja (Congress)
- Councilor Seats: 36 wards, 214 candidates
- Previous Mayor: Madhu Azad (BJP)
Manesar Municipal Corporation (First-Time Elections)
- Candidates: Sunder Lal (BJP), Neeraj Yadav (Congress), Vijay Singh, Dr. Indrajit Singh (Independents)
- Councilor Seats: 20 wards, 167 candidates
Faridabad Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Praveen Joshi (BJP), Lata Rani (Congress), Mansha Paswan (BSP), Nisha Dalal (AAP), Anjana Sharma, Sangeeta Yadav (Independents)
- Councilor Seats: 46 wards, 221 candidates
- Previous Mayor: Suman Bala (BJP)
Yamunanagar Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Suman Bahmani (BJP), Kirana Devi (Congress), Suman Lata, Madhu (Independents)
- Councilor Seats: 22 wards, 90 candidates
- Previous Mayor: Madan Chauhan (BJP)
Ambala Municipal Corporation
- Candidates: Sailja Sachdeva (BJP), Amisha Chawla (Congress)
- Councilor Seats:
- Previous Mayor: Shakti Rani Sharma (Jan Chetna Party)
Sonipat Municipal Corporation (By-Election)
- Candidates: Rajeev Jain (BJP), Kamal Diwan (Congress), Dr. Kamlesh Kumar Saini (AAP), Dharmvir (BSP), Ramesh Khatri (Independent)
- Councilor Seats: N/A
- Previous Mayor: Nikhil Madan (Congress)
Voter Turnout Across Municipal Corporations
| Municipal Corporation | Voter Turnout (%) |
|---|---|
| Rohtak | 54.5 |
| Yamunanagar | 54.3 |
| Hisar | 53.6 |
| Panipat | 52.6 |
| Karnal | 49.6 |
| Gurugram | 45.6 |
| Ambala | 43.2 |
| Faridabad | 40.9 |
| Sonipat | 31.0 (Lowest) |
Key Takeaways from the Haryana Civic Polls
- BJP’s Stronghold: The ruling BJP displayed dominance by securing victories in almost all key municipal corporations.
- Congress’ Dismal Performance: Despite contesting civic polls under its official symbol for the first time, Congress failed to make an impact. Even strongholds like Rohtak saw BJP’s triumph.
- Independent Victory in Manesar: Manesar, which held its first-ever municipal elections, saw independent candidate Indrajit Yadav defeat BJP.
- Low Voter Turnout in Sonipat: Sonipat recorded the lowest voter turnout at just 31%.
Conclusion
The Haryana civic polls reaffirm BJP’s strong presence in the state, while Congress faces serious challenges in regaining its foothold. With an overwhelming victory in municipal corporations, BJP continues to solidify its urban political base ahead of upcoming state and national elections.
