The Congress slumped to a second successive election defeat in Haryana after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won polls for nine of 10 mayoral positions, including in Gurugram and Rohtak, the stronghold of Bhupinder Hooda, one of the opposition party’s senior-most state leaders.
An independent candidate – Dr Inderjit Yadav, a rebel BJP leader – won the tenth, Manesar.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini celebrated the big win, declaring “the people have put their stamp of approval on a ‘triple-engine’ government. I thank the people from the bottom of my heart.”
“Our local body government and this ‘triple-engine’ government will play a crucial role in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘viksit Bharat‘, ‘developed India’,” he told reporters.
Speaking to NDTV after the big win, Haryana Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda promised greater development for the state, thanks to a “full public mandate…”
#WATCH | Chandigarh | On BJP’s victory in Haryana Municipal Corporation elections, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini says, “In the results of local body elections that came today, the people of Haryana have put their stamp of approval on the triple engine government… I… pic.twitter.com/FQ15XIy2kD
— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2025
In fairness, the Congress – which slumped to defeat in the Assembly election last year despite racing into a big early lead – has only fought local polls under its own symbol only once before.
This time, though, the party fielded several candidates, including for the post of Mayor of Gurugram, which settled into a first direct contest – with the BJP – for the seat.
In response, the BJP unleased top leaders from the state – including Rajasthan Chief Minister Nayab Saini and his newly-elected Delhi counterpart, Rekha Gupta – during campaigning. The Congress responded with former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and Mr Hooda.
The result, nevertheless, was one-sided.
#WATCH | Haryana Municipal Corporation Election | BJP leader Raj Rani Malhotra wins mayor elections from Gurugram, holds roadshow in the area pic.twitter.com/3R1b5duptu
— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2025
The incumbent, the BJP’s Raj Rani beat the Congress’ Seema Pahuja by over one lakh votes.
Congress Defeated In Rohtak
The battle for Rohtak’s mayoral seat was, on paper, a five-way contest between the BJP, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Indian National Lok Dal, and an independent.
But it was the BJP’s Ram Avtar that emerged the undisputed winner. He got over one lakh votes, with the Congress’ Surajmal Kiloi a distant second by more than 45,000 ballots.
This result has been seen as a big blow to the Congress, given it is Mr Hooda’s bastion.
BJP Wins Ambala, Leads Faridabad
In Ambala, the BJP’s Shailja Sachdeva was elected as Mayor. She defeated the Congress’ Amisha Chawla by 20,487 votes. And, in Faridabad, Parveen Joshi beat the Congress’ Lata Rani.
BJP Claims Hisar, Karnal, Panipat
The BJP’s Praveen Popli beat the Congress’ Krishan Singla in Hisar.
In Karnal, the BJP’s Renu Bala Gupta beat the Congress’ Manoj Wadhwa.
In Panipat, the BJP’s Komal Saini defeated the Congress’ Savita Garg.
Senior BJP leader Rajiv Jain saw off a challenge from the Congress’ Komal Dewan in Sonipat.
And, in Yamunanagar, Suman of the BJP beat the Congress’ Kirna Devi.
Haryana Local Body Polls
Voting in Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, and Yamunanagar, as well as Gurugram and Manesar – was on March 2. By-polls for the mayoral posts in the Ambala and Sonipat corporations were held on the same day. Panipat voted on March 9. Simultaneously, voting 21 municipal committees were also held.
Overall voter turnout was seen as disappointing – it was only 41 per cent, a record low according to some reports, compared to 68 per cent for the Assembly election.
As many as 26 ward members have been elected unopposed. These include Kuldeep Singh (Faridabad), Vikas Yadav (Gurugram), Sankalp Bhandari, and Sanjeev Kumar Mehta (Karnal), and Bhavna (Yamunanagar) secured unopposed wins from their respective wards.
With input from agencies
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