The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress are gearing up for a high-stakes contest in the upcoming municipal polls in Panchkula, Ambala, and Sonipat, likely to be held in April this year.
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State Election Commissioner (SEC) Devinder Singh Kalyan issued a notification on Monday, announcing March 27 as the date for the final publication of electoral rolls for the three civic bodies, paving the way for a direct BJP-Congress showdown.
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This will be the first major electoral face-off between the two parties since Congressโs surprise defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections, where the BJP secured three consecutive victories in the state.
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Officials said the ward-wise final electoral rolls will enable the SEC to issue a formal notification to kick-start the election process. The state government has already approved conducting the long-awaited polls.
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Bye-elections in these constituencies were held along with eight other municipalities in January 2025, where the BJP swept the mayoral seats, consolidating its administrative vision at the Centre, state, and local levels.
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The ruling government, with its โSab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikasโ slogan, will aim to repeat its earlier successes. However, the recent US-India trade deal is likely to pose challenges to its prospects in the polls.
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Chief Ministerโs media adviser Rajeev Jaitly said, โHaryana has been on a higher trajectory of growth for over 11 years under the triple-engine government.โ
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Congress, on the other hand, aims to capitalise on the narrative that the BJPโs triple-engine government has caused immense hardships to the urban population.
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Following its surprise debacle in the Assembly elections, Congress announced organisational restructuring, appointing district unit chiefs to strengthen its grassroots party framework.
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