Haryana civic body polls: BJP wins nine of 10 centres, Manesar gets independent mayor

BJP’s Raj Rani Malhotra won the Gurugram mayoral election by a margin of 179,485 votes. She secured 270,781 votes, beating out Congress candidate Seema Pahuja

Published on: Mar 13, 2025, 05:08:09 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Gurugram

BJP’s Raj Rani Malhotra takes out a victory rally with her supporters after the poll results were announced. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the civic body polls in Haryana, securing wins in nine of 10 centres, including Gurugram, failing only in its bid in Manesar, which went to polls for the first time. Significantly, both Gurugram and Manesar elected women mayors.

BJP’s Raj Rani Malhotra won the Gurugram mayoral election by a margin of 179,485 votes. She secured 270,781 votes, beating out Congress candidate Seema Pahuja, who secured 91,296 votes. Independent candidate Dr Inderjit Yadav won the Manesar mayoral polls by 2,293 votes. She secured 26,393 votes, defeating BJP’s Sunder Lal Yadav, who secured 24,100 votes.

While the BJP won the civic body polls in Ambala, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Panipat, and Sonipat, independents secured 13 of 20 seats in Manesar.

This was also for the first time that civic polls were fought on party symbols in the state. So far, independent candidates contested the polls, with some of them backed by political outfits.

In the 2017 MCG elections, 55.68% of eligible voters cast their ballots and BJP won 14 of 35 wards, falling short of the halfway mark (18) and failing to secure a majority. The 2017 election saw a more competitive political landscape with stronger independent candidates playing a crucial role in determining governance. The lower voter turnout in 2025, combined with voter dissatisfaction towards former councillors, worked in favour of the BJP and independent candidates, allowing them to consolidate power more effectively.

Gurugram

This year’s civic polls mark the third consecutive win for the BJP, cementing its dominance over municipal governance since the inception of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) in 2008.

Political observers said that mayor-elect Malhotra, who has been associated with the RSS and BJP for years, benefited from a strong Punjabi voter base. Her husband, Tilakraj Malhotra, a senior BJP leader, has previously served as the Gurugram BJP district president and contested the assembly elections.

There are 890,000 voters in Gurugram. The polling took place on March 2, and saw a voter turnout of 41.8%.

Following her victory, Malhotra promised to focus on urban development, particularly on tackling sanitation issues, improving traffic management, and addressing water supply concerns. “I am thankful to the people of Gurugram for placing their trust in me. My priority will be to ensure a cleaner city and better civic infrastructure,” she said in her victory rally.

The Congress’s poor performance in Gurugram was evident, with the party fielding 15 candidates across municipal wards but managing to win only one seat. The party failed to capitalise on anti-incumbency sentiment against previous BJP-led municipal bodies, with many former councillors losing due to public dissatisfaction over their performance.

Manesar

The elections for the Manesar Municipal Corporation (MMC) saw a setback for the BJP, as it secured seven of 20 seats, with independents taking the rest. The Congress performed abysmally, with its mayoral candidate Neeraj Yadav finishing fourth, with only 5,143 votes.

There are 96,000 registered voters in Manesar. The polling took place on March 2, and saw a voter turnout of 67.3%.

After securing victory, Dr Inderjit Yadav thanked the voters for their support and assured them that the new municipal body will work diligently to address civic concerns. “The development of Manesar is my top priority. People here have been struggling with basic civic issues like sanitation, road connectivity, and water supply. I will work towards resolving these issues at the earliest,” she said.

Her victory is being viewed as a major setback for BJP, which had expected to win control over Manesar’s newly formed municipal body. Political analysts believe that growing dissatisfaction with the BJP’s handling of local governance and independent candidates’ strong grassroots support played a key role in the outcome.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.