BJP's victory margin raises concerns about Cong fate in state
The outcome of the Urban Local Bodies elections in Haryana have come as no surprise, as it was on expected lines following the formation of the new BJP government barely six months ago.
However, what has been remarkable is the sheer margin of victory for BJP mayoral candidates in several key cities, including Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Sonepat, Karnal, Panipat, and Ambala. In three Municipal Corporations—Faridabad, Gurugram and Panipat— BJP candidates have won by over one lakh votes. With victories in nine of 10 municipal corporations, the BJP has further cemented its control over Haryana’s urban political landscape.
The Congress leadership, on the other hand, appeared to have surrendered without even putting up a fight, which reflects its poor style of functioning and lack of unity in the state unit. Infighting is the reason for the BJP's defeat in the Manesar Municipal Corporation, where Union minister Rao Inderjeet Singh managed to ensure the victory of his loyalist (Independent) over the BJP’s official candidate.
The Congress, which used to dominate in Rohtak, Sonepat, and Sirsa MCs, could not retain its influence. Political experts said Congress defeat was inevitable due to fragmented leadership and the lack of ground-level organisation.
The massive margin indicated that people opted to go with the ruling clique in the municipal poll. The Congress or other opponents failed to make a narrative out of any local or state issue, even though urban local bodies have been one of the biggest factors of people’s resentment against the BJP until the Lok Sabha elections last year.
The defeat in Hooda's stronghold Rohtak has come as a major setback. Similarly, former Union minister and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja failed to ensure Congress victory in Sirsa.
After winning five Lok Sabha seats in 2024, the Congress was confident of making a strong comeback. But the BJP cashed in on Congress infighting.
In Sirsa, where Congress MLA Gokul Setia turned the election into a prestige battle, the BJP, with the backing of former minister Gopal Kanda, managed to secure a thin margin.
Prof ML Goyal, retired professor of political science, said the crushing defeat had raised serious concerns about Congress’ fate in Haryana. The party is now facing a deep leadership and organisational crisis. “The party needs drastic decisions and measures to revive the party’s graph in Haryana,” he said.
Massive margins
The scale of BJP’s victory is evident from the massive margins in key MCs. In Faridabad, the BJP candidate won by an unprecedented 3,16,852 votes, while in Gurugram, the margin was 1,79,485 votes. In Panipat, the winning difference was 1,23,170 votes, and in Hisar, it was 64,456 votes. Even in Rohtak, the home turf of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a former CM, the BJP won by 45,198 votes. Similarly, in Sonepat, the margin was 34,749 votes; in Karnal 25,359, and Ambala Sadar and Ambala City, 26,923 and 20,487, respectively.
