BJP’s victory in Karnal civic body reaffirms Khattar’s dominance

With BJP candidate Renu Bala Gupta winning the Karnal MC mayoral poll with a margin of 25,359 votes against Congress candidate Manoj Wadhwa, the saffron party has reaffirmed its dominance in four Assembly segments — Karnal, Indri, Gharaunda and Nilokheri.

This election was seen as a litmus test for Union Power Minister and former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who was elected twice as a legislator from Karnal, and incumbent MLA Jagmohan Anand.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who previously served as an MLA from the region, also held six public meetings in a day to rally support for Gupta, a two-time former mayor.

Gupta first held the mayoral post in 2012, when councillors elected the mayor, and later secured a direct victory in 2018, defeating Wadhwa’s wife, Asha Wadhwa.

She was also among the ticket aspirants for the post of MLA during the Assembly poll.

According to political analysts, the victory underscores Khattar’s continued influence among voters despite challenges from Independents and Opposition parties. The BJP’s “triple-engine government” narrative, the Centre, state and at local level, left an impact on voters, thus further strengthening the party’s urban support in Karnal.

“The voters of Karnal have once again placed their faith in the BJP’s governance. Undoubtedly, this was a litmus test for Karnal MP and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and MLA Jagmohan Anand. The results reflect their impact on voters,” said Dr Kushal Pal, a political analyst and principal of Indira Gandhi National College, Ladwa.

The BJP managed to convince voters of the benefits of “triple-engine government,” leading to their continued support, he added.

The BJP leaders credited the victory to the party’s development agenda, organisational strength and voters’ preference for stable governance.

“This is the victory of the people of Karnal. Voters have shown faith in development works done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,” said Mayor Gupta.

Echoing similar sentiments, Karnal MLA said the victory reflected voters’ trust in the BJP’s development works. “I reached out to the people with our achievements and they supported us by ensuring Gupta’s victory,” said Anand.