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

Gurugram

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.