First direct municipal polls in Gurugram on March 2

Gurugram: For the first time in Haryana’s history, political parties will directly field candidates for the municipal elections barring the post of mayor. The Haryana State Election Commission announced on Tuesday that municipal body polls will take place on March 2, ending a 27 month-long gap since the term of the last Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) expired.

The polls will cover two municipal corporations in Gurugram -– MCG and the newly formed Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM) – along with five other civic bodies across the state. The results will be declared on March 12.

Political shift in municipal polls

In previous municipal elections, while councillors often had political affiliations, they contested independently without official party symbols. However, this year, both the BJP and Congress have confirmed that their mayoral candidates for Gurugram and Manesar will contest under party symbols. The decision regarding councillor candidates is still pending within both parties.

Leader of Opposition and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that while Congress will officially field a mayoral candidate, a meeting on Friday will determine whether the party will also extend official symbols to councillor candidates. “We will take a call on this and announce our support accordingly,” he said.

Haryana’s Forest and Industries Minister Rao Narbir Singh also confirmed that the BJP will contest under its official symbol for both mayor and councillor positions. “We will finalise our candidates and extend party symbols accordingly. I will support those who have worked hard in past elections,” he added.

Election schedule

The municipal elections in Haryana have been pending for over two years. The state election commission has scheduled the polls for March 2, covering seven civic bodies. Gurugram (MCG) and Manesar (MCM), Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, and Yamunanagar.

The voter turnout will be closely watched, as over 10,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 25,000 polling officials will be deployed for the election process.

Since the last municipal elections in 2017, Gurugram’s civic jurisdiction has undergone major changes. In December 2020, 16 villages were incorporated into the MCG, leading to a delimitation exercise that redrew ward boundaries and increased the number of wards from 35 to 36.

Currently, Gurugram has 8.9 lakh registered voters, marking an increase of 32,271 voters compared to the previous elections. The Manesar Municipal Corporation, formed in 2020, will be holding elections for the first time, with 96,687 voters choosing representatives for 20 wards.

First direct election for mayor

This election will also mark the first time that Gurugram voters will directly elect a mayor. Previously, the mayor was chosen by elected councillors. However, a 2018 decision by the Haryana Cabinet changed the process, allowing direct public voting for the position.

In the 2017 civic elections, BJP’s Madhu Azad, a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate, was elected mayor through councillor votes. This time, the mayor’s seat in Gurugram has been reserved for a woman from the backward classes category, while the mayoral post in Manesar is open to general category candidates.

Gurugram’s civic challenges

With no elected MCG House for over two years, Gurugram has struggled with various civic issues, such as sanitation and the waste management crises, Pothole-ridden roads and infrastructure failures, waterlogging and overflowing sewage are some of the issues residents have been dealing with.

Despite Gurugram’s reputation as a corporate hub, the absence of local governance has significantly impacted city maintenance and infrastructure projects.

MCG commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg expressed anticipation for the establishment of an elected MCG House. “Having elected representatives will enhance project planning and implementation. We will collaborate closely with them to ensure efficient city operations and swift resolution of residents’ concerns,” he said.

Former councillor Rama Rani Rathee expressed relief, stating that the election announcement was a “much-needed step.” “The administrative staff of MCG often hesitates to initiate new projects without elected representatives. Having an MCG House will improve governance,” she said.

People aware of the matter indicated that the Haryana government had delayed the municipal elections due to internal BJP surveys suggesting potential losses in urban areas. The ruling party feared that poor performance in civic polls could impact its performance in the 2024 state assembly elections.

However, after securing a third consecutive term in the Haryana Assembly, the BJP has now paved the way for municipal elections.

The upcoming elections will serve as a crucial political battleground for BJP and Congress. BJP, which had control of MCG in the previous term, will be aiming for a stronghold in both Gurugram and Manesar. Congress, on the other hand, will seek to capitalise on urban dissatisfaction with civic issues and try to make significant inroads.