Another blow to Congress in Haryana: BJP set for massive win in civic polls, 9 of 10 mayor candidates leading

The Congress party suffered yet another electoral setback in Haryana as the BJP secured a dominant victory in the state’s municipal body polls, winning or leading in nine out of ten mayoral seats. The result marks a significant political shift, especially in the stronghold of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda.

The BJP's sweeping performance included major leads and wins in Hisar, Sonipat, Karnal, Rohtak, Ambala, and Faridabad. The only exception was Manesar, where independent candidate Dr. Inderjit Yadav, a former BJP leader, took the lead. 

The Congress had entered the fray more aggressively this time, fielding candidates under its own symbol, including for the high-profile Gurugram mayoral race. However, its efforts fell short against the BJP’s stronghold in the state.

BJP's Praveen Popli secured the Hisar Municipal Corporation seat, while Rajeev Jain, former media advisor to the Haryana Chief Minister, claimed Sonipat. 

In Karnal, BJP’s Renu Bala Gupta led against Congress' Manoj Wadhwa. Rohtak saw a decisive win for BJP's Ram Avtar, who secured over one lakh votes, leaving Congress' Surajmal Kiloi trailing by more than 45,000 votes. The result in Rohtak, Hooda's stronghold, was seen as a major political blow to the Congress.

Ambala also went to the BJP, with Shailja Sachdeva defeating Congress' Amisha Chawla by 20,487 votes. In Faridabad, BJP’s Parveen Joshi defeated Congress’s Lata Rani. 

Meanwhile, in Gurugram, BJP’s Raj Rani stayed ahead of her opponent, Seema Pahuja, while in Yamunanagar, BJP’s Suman Bahmani led against Congress' Kirana Devi. Panipat's mayoral race also tilted in favor of the BJP, with Komal Saini leading against Congress' Savita Garg.

This comes just months after Congress suffered a shocking defeat in the assembly polls in Haryana.