Overview
- The BJP won the mayoral races in Panchkula, Ambala and Sonipat on Wednesday, leaving Congress without control of any municipal corporation.
- The party dominated ward results, taking 17 of 20 in Panchkula, 16 of 20 in Ambala and 17 of 22 in Sonipat.
- Final counts showed wide gaps, with Sonipat’s Rajiv Jain polling 78,035 to Congress’s 54,788, Ambala’s Akshita Saini winning with 52,794 votes, and Panchkula’s Shyamlal Bansal ahead by about 36,000.
- Beyond the corporations, BJP candidates took the top posts in Rewari, Sampla and Dharuhera, while Independent Reema Soni, backed by opposition figures, defeated the BJP in Uklana.
- Turnout across the civic polls was about 54.5%, and the State Election Commission cited CCTV monitoring and restricted access at counting centers as Congress’s Sudha Bhardwaj alleged broken EVM seals and unauthorized strong-room entry in Panchkula.