BJP sweeps Haryana municipal elections

Congress crushed as saffron party wins all 10 mayoral seats

- NEERAJ MOHAN

The Congress party suffered yet another humiliating electoral setback in Haryana, failing to secure even a single mayoral seat in the local body elections, clearing the path for the ruling BJP to dominate the state's Urban politics as well.

The grand old party, which had hoped to rebuild its political standing after a dismal performance in the 2024 assembly elections, was handed another crushing defeat as the BJP swept all 10 mayoral seats.

The defeat has further exposed the deep-rooted infighting within the state unit and the lack of a strong organisational setup, which continues to plague Congress in Haryana. The civic polls saw several local leaders and workers switching loyalties to the BJP ahead of the elections, leaving Congress struggling to put up a fight.

While the BJP ran a well-structured and aggressive campaign with Chief Minister Nayab Saini, Union Ministers and Cabinet Ministers leading from the front, Congress leaders were nowhere to be seen on the ground. The absence of senior leadership was glaring as campaign responsibilities were merely distributed among local leaders. But their efforts fell short in countering the BJP's massive campaign machinery.