Story by Raksha Bhattacharjee
There are eight municipal corporations with 39 people running for mayor. Notably, on March 9, there will be a separate election for the Panipat Municipal Corporation.Haryana’s municipal elections are set for today, March 2, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the results will be announced on March 12. In addition to local councils and committees around the state, the elections will choose the mayors and ward members of seven municipal corporations.
Local government entities voting
In seven important municipal corporations—Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, and Yamunanagar—voting will be held for ward council members and mayoral seats. In addition, when former mayors Shakti Rani Sharma of Ambala and Nikhil Madan of Sonipat were elected to the state assembly, polls will be held in both cities for the mayoral positions. There are eight municipal corporations with 39 people running for mayor. Notably, on March 9, there will be a separate election for the Panipat Municipal Corporation.
Municipal committee and council elections
In addition to the municipal corporations, elections will be held in Ambala Sadar (Ambala Cantt), Pataudi Jatoli Mandi (Gurugram), Thanesar (Kurukshetra), and Sirsa for the positions of president and ward member in a number of municipal councils.
There will be presidential elections in the municipal councils of Ismailabad (Kurukshetra), Assandh (Karnal), and Sohna (Gurugram). Additionally, the ward members and presidents of 21 municipal committees will be chosen.
Particular instance: election of the Ismailabad municipal committee
The Ismailabad elections are important because they take place almost three years after Nisha Kano Vangha, a Kenyan national with OCI status, was rejected for the position of president of the municipal committee. Dhanpat Singh, the state election commissioner, banned her on April 12, 2024, notwithstanding her election victory in 2022.
Important personalities and election preparations
Three thousand and nine hundred voters will cast ballots at 265 polling places in Karnal to select one of four candidates for the position of mayor. Uttam Singh, the district election officer and deputy commissioner for Karnal, and SP Ganga Ram Punia examined the polling places to make sure the election was free and fair.
Politics: Hooda’s reputation in Rohtak and Sonipat is under jeopardy
Political significance is attached to the Rohtak and Sonipat elections, especially for former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Elections were required in Sonipat as incumbent Congress mayor Nikhil Madan joined the BJP prior to the 2024 Assembly elections and won the Sonipat seat. Rajiv Jain, a senior media advisor to former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, of the BJP, is running against Kamal Diwan of the Congress.
The Congress candidate, Suraj Mal Kiloi, has focused his campaign on Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and local MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra. The election is a litmus test for the Hooda family’s political influence, as the Congress won all four assembly seats in the district last year. The BJP is attempting to hold onto its mayoral seat in Rohtak, and has put forward Ram Avtar Singh Valmiki, backed by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and his cabinet colleagues.
Bharat Bhushan Batra, an MLA for Rohtak, criticized the BJP’s leadership, pointing to problems like waterlogging, inadequate drainage, traffic jams, and the threat posed by stray animals as important public issues.
Important races in other cities
In Hisar, Congressman Krishan Singla and BJP candidate Praveen Popli are anticipated to face off directly. The BJP has been actively campaigning for its candidate, with chief minister Saini and cabinet minister Ranbir Gangwa spearheading the effort. The Congress, on the other hand, is battling internal factionalism as senior leader Ram Niwas Rara, who ran for office on a Congress ticket last year, has now joined the BJP after being rejected for the mayoral nomination.
Security precautions: 49 Rohtak voting locations that are at risk
According to the Haryana State Election Commission, 49 Rohtak polling places are at risk, hence additional security measures are required.
Particularly in Rohtak and Sonipat, the Haryana municipal elections will be widely observed due to the high political stakes and important battles in several districts. The outcome of these elections could have a significant impact on the political climate of the state.
