“Triple-engine government…”: BJP Sweeps Haryana Civic Polls, Congress Faces Crushing Defeat

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday emerged victorious in the Haryana civic polls held on March 2 and March 9, clinching nine out of ten mayoral positions. The BJP’s impressive win included key cities such as Ambala, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Panipat, and Sonipat. The only exception was Manesar, where independent candidate Inderjit Yadav, a former BJP leader, triumphed over the party's nominee.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini celebrated the sweeping win, declaring, “The people have put their stamp of approval on a 'triple-engine' government. I thank the people from the bottom of my heart." He emphasised that the BJP’s local body government, combined with the state and central governments, would significantly contribute to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a "viksit Bharat" or developed India.

BJP's Raj Rani won in Gurugram with a commanding 179,485-vote margin, securing 270,781 votes. Faridabad saw Parveen Joshi’s victory with a record-breaking 416,927 votes, marking the highest winning margin in the country. Other notable wins included BJP’s Parveen Popli in Hisar with a margin of 64,456 votes, Ram Avtar Valmiki’s triumph in Rohtak by 45,198 votes, and Renu Bala’s victory in Karnal with 83,630 votes. BJP candidates also emerged victorious in Yamunanagar, Ambala, Sonipat, and Panipat, with Rajiv Jain winning in Sonipat and Konal Saini in Panipat. The only exception was in Manesar, where independent candidate Dr. Inderjit Yadav defeated BJP's Sundar Lal by a narrow margin of 2,235 votes.

In the outgoing municipal corporations, the BJP had already held mayorships in eight out of ten civic bodies. Notably, Nikhil Madaan, who was previously the Congress mayor of Sonipat, joined the BJP before winning the assembly seat. Similarly, Shakti Rani Sharma, who was the mayor of Ambala under the Haryana Janchetna Party, switched to the BJP and secured the Kalka assembly seat.

This defeat marks a second consecutive blow for the Congress party in Haryana, following their loss in the 2024 state assembly elections. The BJP's dominance was particularly felt in Gurugram and Rohtak, strongholds of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda. Despite their hopes of regaining ground Congress saw many of its workers and leaders shift to the BJP ahead of the elections. The party has long struggled with internal divisions.​