Setback for BJP-JJP combine in Haryana mayoral polls

In a setback on Wednesday, the ruling BJP-JJP combine in Haryana could win only one of three mayoral seats for which elections were held recently.

In a setback on Wednesday, the ruling BJP-JJP combine in Haryana could win only one of three mayoral seats for which elections were held recently.

The mayoral elections in the cities of Ambala, Panchkula and Sonepat were held on Sunday. While the BJP struggled to win in Panchkula, the Congress and the Haryana Jan Chetna Party (HJCP) bagged mayoral posts in Sonepat and Ambala, respectively.

Haryana Jan Chetna Party’s mayoral candidate and wife of former union minister Venod Sharma, Shakti Rani Sharma, became Ambala’s first woman mayor by defeating BJP-JJP’s Vandana Sharma by 8,084 votes.

BJP’s Kulbhushan Goyal won mayor’s seat in Panchkula by defeating Congress candidate and former mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia by 2,057 votes.

In Sonepat, Congress’ candidate Nikhil Madaan defeated his nearest rival Lalit Batra of the BJP. While BJP candidates secured victory in 10 wards of Sonepat municipal corporation, nine wards were won by Congress nominees and one ward went to an Independent.

The ruling BJP has won the president post in the Rewari municipal council. BJP’s Poonam Yadav won by a margin of 2,087 votes from independent candidate Upma Yadav. The BJP has won from seven wards and Independents grabbed 24 wards in Rewari.

Posts of president in three municipal committees — Uklana (Hisar) , Dharuhera (Rewari) and Sampla (Rohtak) — went to independent candidates.

In Uklana, Sushil Sahu defeated JJP’s Mahender Soni. Pooja, who was backed by former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, defeated BJP nominee Sonu in Sampla. In Dharuhera, Kanwar Singh became the president by defeating BJP’s Sandeep Bohra.

Anant Ram, a retired political science professor, said the farmers’ agitation also played a vital role in the defeat of BJP-JJP alliance.

“The results of the Uklana municipal committee reveals that voters are unhappy with the performance of Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala and minister Anoop Dhanak as they lost the battle in their stronghold. The results of civic body polls are encouraging for Hooda because his loyal Nikhil Madaan became Sonepat’s mayor and Pooja won the president post in Sampla municipal committee,” he added.

Urban voters taught lesson to BJP-JJP: Hooda

Leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress has performed pretty well in Sonepat municipal corporation elections and the candidates backed by him won in Sampla and Uklana.

“The urban voters have taught a lesson to the ruling BJP-JJP government and gave a referendum to their one-year rule,” he added.

On being asked about Congress’ performance in Panchkula and Ambala MCs, the former chief minister said the party had not called him to campaign for its candidates in both these cities.

“We will introspect about the reasons behind our defeat in these two corporations. The BJP has won the mayoral post in Panchkula by a thin margin, but we have secured a massive victory of over 13,000 for the post of mayor in Sonepat municipal corporation,” he added.

‘BJP’s arrogance hasn’t broken’

Ambala mayor’s husband Venod Sharma said, “Despite being in power at the Centre as well as the state, I don’t think BJP’s arrogance has broken, but at least here the Haryana Jan Chetna Party won.”

Meanwhile, Shakti Rani said, “I’ll work with full loyalty to meet the expectations of people. I’ll try to take everyone along.”

According to legal expert Hemant Kumar, except Vandana Sharma, all the losing mayoral candidates are liable to lose their security deposits.