After the Haryana Assembly elections, attention has now shifted to the state's urban body polls. The results for mayors and councillors of 40 municipal bodies will be declared today, Wednesday. Elections were held for 32 municipal councils, chairpersons, ward members, and ward councillors in eight municipal corporations. Additionally, the results of mayoral by-elections in Ambala and Sonipat municipal corporations will also be announced today.
Polling for the civic elections took place on Sunday (March 9), with a voter turnout of 46%. While most areas voted on March 2, polling in Panipat was conducted on March 9. With the BJP currently holding control over more than half of the municipal corporations, the party’s credibility is on the line, while the Congress is striving to regain ground.
Major municipal seats where elections were held include Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Sonipat, and Panipat. Additionally, elections took place in five municipal councils, namely Ambala Sadar, Pataudi, Jatauli Mandi, Thanesar, and Sirsa, along with several municipal committees.
A total of 43 candidates contested for mayoral positions across 10 municipal corporations, with Gurugram and Ambala witnessing a direct contest between the BJP and Congress. In addition, 27 candidates were in the fray for the post of municipal council president, while 151 candidates contested for 23 municipal presidency posts. Several candidates were elected unopposed in various municipal bodies, including ward councillors from Faridabad, Gurugram, Karnal, Yamunanagar, and Ambala Sadar, among others.
The main contest is between the BJP and Congress, with both parties fielding candidates across all seats. The BJP has nominated six women candidates for mayoral positions, while Congress has put forward four women. Notable BJP candidates include Rajrani Malhotra (Gurugram), Komal Saini (Panipat), Renu Bala (Karnal), Praveen Joshi (Faridabad), Shailaja Sachdeva (Ambala), and Suman Bahmani (Yamunanagar). Congress has fielded Seema Pahuja (Gurugram), Ameesha Chawla (Ambala), Lata Rani (Faridabad), and Kiran Devi (Yamunanagar).
The BJP faces internal rebellion, with several former party members now contesting as Congress candidates. For instance, Seema Pahuja (Congress) from Gurugram was earlier with the BJP but switched sides after being denied a ticket. Similarly, Surajmal Kiloi (Congress) from Rohtak and Manoj Wadhwa (Congress) from Karnal were previously associated with the BJP.
Also Read | Haryana municipal election results today; counting underway.
Out of the 10 municipal corporations, six were controlled by the BJP, two by Congress, and one by the Haryana Jan Chetna Party. Elections are being held for the first time in the Manesar Municipal Corporation, adding a new dimension to the contest.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has actively campaigned across municipal bodies, with the credibility of his leadership at stake. Several Union Ministers, including Manohar Lal Khattar (Karnal), Krishan Pal Gurjar (Faridabad), and Rao Inderjit Singh (Gurugram and Manesar), have also been engaged in the campaign.
For the Congress, state in-charge BK Hariprasad faces his first major test, while MP Deepender Singh Hooda has focused primarily on the Rohtak elections. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s influence is also at stake, while state party president Chaudhary Uday Bhan faces the challenge of proving his leadership. With high stakes for both the BJP and Congress, all eyes are now on the election results, which will indicate the political mood in Haryana’s urban centres.