Political battle heats up in Panipat as BJP, Cong prepare for civic elections
With the announcement of the Municipal Corporation elections, political activity in the ‘Textile City’ has intensified. While the BJP and Congress have yet to declare their candidates for all 26 wards and the mayoral post, the electoral buzz has started gaining momentum.
In the BJP camp, 23 aspirants have submitted their applications for the mayoral seat, while approximately 220 hopefuls have applied for councillor positions, according to BJP district president Dushyant Bhatt. The enthusiasm among party workers is high as they seek the ruling party’s ticket.
Among those eyeing the mayoral position are former Mayor Avneet Kaur, industrialists and political figures. As per the available list, the contenders include Navin Bhatia, Gaurav Goyal, three-time councillor Sanjeev Dahiya, BJP women’s district president Komal Saini, Surender Kumar, Dr Surender Tuteja, Sanjay Aggarwal, Sarabjeet Singh, former MP’s PA Himanshu Sharma, Subhash Chand Saini, Malti Arora, Devender Dutta, Meghraj Gupta, Shakuntla Garg, Suresh Gumbar, Rajiv Jain, Manish Jain, Sandeep Ralhan, Krishan Arya, Tarun Gandhi, Suresh Saini and Jeewan Das Goyal.
Additionally, former councillor Lokesh Nangroo and BJP state general secretary Dr Archna Gupta are being considered for the party’s mayoral candidate. Meanwhile, approximately 220 candidates have expressed their interest in contesting the councillor elections.
Aspirants, accompanied by their supporters, gathered at the BJP district office, lobbying for their chances to secure the party symbol. While ticket distribution will be finalised in the coming days, the political battleground is already taking shape.
“The large number of aspirants clearly reflects the enthusiasm of party workers. After securing significant victories in both the Parliamentary elections in May and the Assembly elections in October last year, BJP workers are highly motivated. That’s why so many aspirants want the party symbol,” said a senior BJP functionary.
Confirming the influx of applications, BJP district president Dushyant Bhatt said, “A total of 23 party leaders have shown interest in contesting the mayoral election, while around 220 have applied for councillor positions. The final candidates will be selected based on merit after thorough discussions.”
Meanwhile, the Congress has also begun its preparations for the civic polls. Party leader Ombir Panwar confirmed that the elections would be contested on the Congress symbol. “The party is working internally to prepare for the elections and in the next two days, rounds of meetings will commence to finalise our strategy,” he said.
With both parties gearing up for a fierce contest, Panipat is set to witness an intense political battle in the coming days.
