BJP sweeps Haryana municipal polls, captures Congress' Rohtak seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged victorious in the Haryana municipal elections, securing 9 out of 10 mayoral seats across the state. The elections, which were held on March 2 and March 9, saw BJP candidates win in major cities including Ambala, Gurugram, Sonipat, Karnal, Faridabad, Panipat, Hisar, Yamunanagar, and Rohtak. In the only exception, Independent candidate Inderjeet Yadav, a former BJP member, defeated BJP’s Sunder Lal to win the Manesar mayoral seat.

In Rohtak, traditionally a stronghold of Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda, the BJP's Ram Avtar emerged as the winner, defeating Congress candidate Surajmal Kiloi by a significant margin. The loss in Rohtak, a key area for Congress, was seen as a major blow for the party. However, despite the setback, Hooda downplayed the impact of the municipal elections, stating that the results would not affect Congress' standing in the state.

The BJP’s success in the urban centers highlights its continued dominance in Haryana’s political landscape. The party has maintained a strong presence in local body elections, having previously held mayoral positions in eight out of ten municipalities in the state. This victory is seen as an extension of its success in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, where the party secured a majority.

The municipal elections also saw a low voter turnout of just 41%, which was a significant drop from the 68% turnout in the 2024 Assembly elections. Despite the low participation, BJP's robust performance indicates continued public support in urban areas, especially in cities like Gurugram, where BJP's Raj Rani won by a substantial margin of over 1.7 lakh votes.

In other mayoral races, BJP candidates Shailja Sachdeva, Praveen Joshi, Renu Bala Gupta, Komal Saini, and others secured victories across various cities. In the by-election for the mayoral post in Ambala, BJP's Shailja Sachdeva won with a margin of 20,487 votes. While the BJP celebrated its victory, Congress, despite fielding prominent candidates, was unable to make any significant headway, securing no mayoral positions in the elections.