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CHANDIGARH: The counting of votes for the mayoral and councillor elections in key municipal bodies across Haryana remained underway on Wednesday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party gaining a strong lead in several major urban local bodies, including Panchkula, Sonipat and Ambala.
Polling for the elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils and municipal committees was held on Sunday, while counting began at 8 am on Wednesday amid tight security arrangements.
The elections covered mayoral and ward councillor posts in the municipal corporations of Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat, along with elections for the municipal council in Rewari and municipal committees in Sampla, Dharuhera and Uklana. Bypolls for several wards in Tohana, Jhajjar, Rajound, Taraori, Kanina and Sadhaura were also conducted.
Congress alleges ‘vote theft’ in Panchkula
Tensions briefly surfaced at the counting centre in Panchkula after Congress mayoral candidate Sudha Bhardwaj walked out, alleging “vote chori” (vote theft) as BJP candidate Shyam Lal Bansal surged ahead by a massive margin.
After six rounds of counting, Bansal had secured 20,290 votes compared to Bhardwaj’s 7,008 votes, establishing a lead of 13,282 votes. AAP candidate Rajesh Kumar remained a distant third with 629 votes, while INLD nominee Manoj Aggarwal polled 300 votes.
Coming out of the counting centre, Bhardwaj and her supporters said they would decide their next course of action after internal discussions. Congress ward candidate Rajnish Singla also walked out of the centre.
The BJP was simultane Upon leavingously leading in eight out of ten wards in Panchkula. Independent candidate Prem Kumar maintained an edge in Ward No. 7, while INLD candidate Ankush Kumar led the contest in Ward No. 10.
BJP’s Rajiv Jain wins Sonipat mayoral election
In Sonipat, BJP mayoral candidate Rajiv Jain registered a decisive victory by defeating Congress nominee Kamal Diwan by 23,247 votes.
Even before the final declaration, Jain had maintained a commanding lead throughout the counting process. After the ninth round, he was ahead by over 20,000 votes, polling 55,028 votes against Diwan’s 34,823.
The BJP also swept several wards in Sonipat, winning Wards 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13.
Tight contests in Ambala
In Ambala, BJP mayoral candidate Akshita Saini maintained a lead after the fifth round of counting with 15,022 votes. Independent candidate Sonia Rani followed with 10,546 votes, while Congress nominee Kulwinder Kaur secured 8,666 votes.
Several ward results also reflected closely fought contests. BJP candidate Shobha Singh won Ward No. 13 by a razor-thin margin of 23 votes, defeating Congress candidate Pardeep Chawla. Meanwhile, Congress candidate Poonam Sharma secured victory in Ward No. 14.
Other BJP winners in Ambala included Monika Mal from Ward No. 7, Kamal Kant Gupta from Ward No. 12, Shivani Sood from Ward No. 9, Gurvinder Singh from Ward No. 10 and Kavita Saini from Ward No. 11.
Independent candidate Manoj Sharma also emerged victorious from Ward No. 15, while BJP candidates Nikunj Chawal and Gurpreet Singh won Wards 16 and 17, a setback in Hisar district’s Uklana Municipal Committee, where a Congress-backed Independent candidate, Reema Soni, won.
BJP suffers setback in Uklana
Despite leading in major civic bodies, the BJP faced a setback in Hisar district’s Uklana Municipal Committee, where Congress-backed Independent candidate Reema Soni defeated BJP nominee Nikita Goyal by 2,806 votes.
BJP wins Dharuhera Municipal Committee
In Rewari district, BJP candidate Ajay Jangra was elected president of the Dharuhera Municipal Committee.
High political stakes
The municipal elections are being viewed as an important political test ahead of future Assembly battles in Haryana. The BJP, which currently holds the mayoral posts in Panchkula, Ambala and Sonipat, appeared on course to retain dominance in major urban centres.
The results are also being closely watched for indications of the Congress party’s urban revival efforts and the emerging presence of parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party and Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana’s municipal politics.
