BJP’s victory margin sets alarm bells ringing for Congress in Haryana

The outcome of the Urban Local Bodies election in Haryana came as no surprise following the formation of the BJP government barely six months ago.

However, what was 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 9 out of 10 municipal corporations, 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 shows a poor reflection of its style of functioning and lack of unity in the state unit.

BJP’s loss in Manesar Municipal Corporation can be attributed to internal party conflicts, which led to Union Minister Rao Inderjeet Singh ensuring the victory of his loyalist over the party’s official candidate.

Meanwhile, the Congress, which once dominated municipal corporations in Rohtak, Sonepat, and Sirsa, has struggled to maintain its influence. According to political experts, the Congress’ defeat was inevitable due to fragmented leadership and a lack of grassroots organisation.

The significant margin of victory suggests that voters opted for the ruling party in the municipal polls. The Congress failed to capitalise on local and state-level issues, despite urban local bodies being a major factor in people’s resentment against BJP until the Lok Sabha election last year.

The defeat in Rohtak, a stronghold of Bhupinder Hooda, has been a significant setback for the Congress. Similarly, former Union Minister and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja failed to secure the Congress victory in Sirsa.

The Congress’ infighting ultimately hindered its chances of making a strong comeback, despite winning five Lok Sabha seats in 2024. BJP, however, worked hard to capitalise on this opportunity.

In Sirsa, Congress MLA Gokul Setia turned the election into a prestige battle, but BJP, backed by former minister Gopal Kanda, managed to secure a thin margin victory.

Professor ML Goyal, a retired professor of political science, stated that Congress’ crushing defeat raises concerns about the party’s fate in Haryana. He emphasised that the party faces a deep leadership and organisational crisis, requiring drastic decisions to revive its presence in the state.