BJP faces tough challenge, Kanda brothers & Setias clash for control

The municipal election in Sirsa is turning into a fierce battle for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

For the first time, voters will directly choose the Chairperson, making this election even more significant.

This election marks a challenge for the BJP as it fights to maintain its hold on power in the city. In the past, the party had only won the position of Chairperson with the support of Gokul Setia’s family in 2016.

This time, the competition is intense, and every candidate wants to make history.

In the 2016 elections, the BJP managed to make Sheela Sehgal the MC Chairperson with the help of the Gokul Setia faction. However, two years later, she lost her chair to Reena Sethi of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), led by former minister Gopal Kanda. This year, however, the dynamics have changed, and Sirsa’s citizens will vote directly for their Chairperson.

In addition to BJP, several parties — including the Congress, JJP, INLD and AAP — and Independent candidates are in the race.

Gopal Kanda’s HLP, which was once aligned with the Congress, has now formed an alliance with the BJP, and its candidates are contesting under the BJP symbol.

Congress, INLD, JJP, and AAP have decided to contest separately, intensifying the competition.

The presence of Gopal Kanda and his brother, BJP leader Gobind Kanda, has sparked intense campaigning, and both are focusing their efforts on local voters.

For many, this election resembles the 2019 Assembly elections, where the battle seemed to centre around the Kanda brothers and the Setia family.

The two sides continue to trade accusations, with Congress MLA Gokul Setia and his father Rahul Setia accusing the Kanda brothers of corruption.

They claimed that, under the Kandas, city projects such as road construction were of poor quality, with contractors getting large tenders despite subpar work.

In response, Gopal Kanda argued that the voters of Sirsa now had an opportunity to correct “past mistakes” by supporting the BJP, and, thereby, contributing to the development of the city.

He appealed to the public to vote for progress and align with the state’s BJP government. Meanwhile, Setia criticised Kanda’s tactics, accusing him of trying to deceive the BJP while pushing his own candidates.

At Tera Baba Kutia, a religious site managed by Gopal Kanda, Hindu preacher Pardeep Mishra has been holding sermons this election season.

Thousands of people have been visiting the site daily, and Gopal Kanda, along with other BJP leaders, is regularly interacting with the crowd.

During the previous Assembly elections, Gopal Kanda had organised a five-day religious event with Hindu preacher Dhirendra Shastri at the site.