BJP extends Haryana dominance with sweeping civic poll victories
The BJP won the municipal corporations of Ambala, Sonipat and Panchkula and all three mayoral posts. The results extended its post-Assembly momentum, though Independent Reema Soni upset the BJP in Uklana.
Riding on its impressive victory in the 2024 Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday swept the Municipal Corporation elections in Haryana and made significant gains in the high-stakes civic polls.
As Haryana voted in the Municipal Corporation elections in Ambala, Sonipat, and Panchkula, the BJP registered a clean sweep by winning all three corporations with commanding margins. The party also secured victory in all three mayoral contests.
BJP DOMINATES SONIPAT, AMBALA AND PANCHKULA
In the Sonipat Municipal Corporation elections, the BJP won 17 out of the total 22 wards, while the Congress secured the remaining five wards. BJP mayoral candidate Rajiv Jain defeated Congress candidate Kamal Diwan.
A similar trend was witnessed in Ambala, where the BJP won 16 out of 20 wards. Congress managed to win three seats, while one seat went to an Independent candidate. BJP mayoral candidate Akshita Saini defeated Congress rival Kulwinder Kaur.
The Panchkula Municipal Corporation results also brought major cheers for the BJP. The party won 17 out of 20 seats and also captured the mayoral post. Congress managed to secure only one seat, while Independents won two. BJP’s Sham Lal Bansal defeated Congress candidate Sudha Bhardwaj in the mayoral election.
CM NAYAB SAINI SAYS PEOPLE REJECTED CONGRESS
Elated over the party’s performance in the civic polls, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said, “Recently, the party registered an emphatic win in West Bengal and now in Haryana too, people have shown great confidence in the BJP and we have swept the civic polls. The party has done very well, and I congratulate all workers and leaders for winning all three Municipal Corporations. People are fed up with the Congress and the lies it spreads. The people have rejected the Congress party.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated the people of Haryana on X over the civic poll results. He termed the outcome a reflection of people’s confidence in the “double-engine government."
BJP WINS SAMPLA, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE SHOCKS BJP IN UKLANA
Apart from the Municipal Corporation elections in Ambala, Sonipat and Panchkula, Haryana also witnessed results for the Rewari Municipal Council and the Municipal Committees of Sampla (Rohtak), Dharuhera (Rewari), and Uklana (Hisar).
The Uklana Municipal Committee result surprised many, as Independent candidate Reema Soni defeated the BJP nominee.
The 23-year-old Independent candidate, backed by Congress and INLD, defeated BJP candidate Nikita Goyal by a margin of 2,806 votes.
BJP candidates, however, were elected presidents of the Municipal Committees of Sampla and Dharuhera.
In Sampla, which falls under the Assembly constituency of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, BJP nominee Parveen Coach defeated Independent candidate Ankit. Congress did not field any candidate in the Sampla Municipal Committee election.
Independent candidates also performed strongly in Sampla as well as the Rewari Municipal Council elections.
WHAT THE RESULTS MEAN FOR BJP
The BJP’s emphatic victory in the civic polls has not only boosted the morale of party workers and leaders but has also reinforced confidence within the organisation that it remains on the right political track.
After winning the Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections in 2024, the civic polls were seen as another major test for the BJP’s organisational strength and popularity.
Although all parties carried out hectic campaigning, the scale of the BJP’s victory has clearly infused fresh enthusiasm within the party.
BJP TURNS FOCUS TOWARDS PUNJAB
With Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini making regular visits to Punjab, the BJP is now looking to improve its performance in the neighbouring state, which is scheduled to hold civic polls later this month and Assembly elections in early 2027.
Parveen Attrey, BJP leader and advisor to the Chief Minister, said, “When the results of Assam and West Bengal came, the Chief Minister said that it would have an impact on Punjab too. Haryana shares a border with Punjab and definitely the big win in Haryana will have an impact there as well. The BJP has won the Sampla seat, which was traditionally dominated by the Congress.”
HOODA SAYS CONGRESS HAS PERFORMED BETTER
Reacting to the BJP’s victory, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “Congress has performed better than before. We have received more votes this time. Earlier, too, there were BJP mayors. It is not that someone else held these posts before.”