The result of Gurugram civic body election has left the incumbent BJP in Haryana red-faced as a clear majority eluded the party, belying its claim of winning over 30 seats out of total 35.
Considered to be a litmus test for the Manohar lal Khattar Government, Gurugram MC polls result has came as a major disappointment for the saffron party, which contested on its party symbol but managed to win only 14 seats.
Haryana’s main opposition party, Indian National lok Dal which contested on its symbol on 20 seats, had to be content with just one seat while the Congress did not contest on election symbol and supported the independent candidates.
Even as the senior BJP leaders including Haryana Cabinet Ministers, State MPs, MlAs did canvassing for the party candidates, the party failed to impress over five lakh voters of Millennium city, who voted in favour of 20 winning independent candidates.
After recording landslide victories in the elections for the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad earlier this year and Haryana’s capital Chandigarh last year, the Chief Minister Manohar lal was confident of BJP’s victory again and had announced to contest the MC Gurugram polls on party symbol.
In Gurugram, it seems, the dice was already loaded against the ruling BJP as factors including local issues, party’s performance at the national and State level, worked against it. The results reflected the voters’ anger against the BJP-led Haryana Government, whose aggressive campaign on good governance and zero tolerance against corruption failed to impress the voters.
Political observers feel that there was a sense of anger among the electorate as the ruling party failed to resolve the local issues like traffic and waterlogging woes and also, diluted the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act provisions.
Apart from miscalculated ticket distribution and party infighting, BJP-led Haryana Government’s image which was “dented beyond repair” after recent mishandling of dera violence issue, delay in handling over probe to the CBI into Pradyuman murder case and central issues like demonetisation, GST implementation have also played a key role in influencing voter’s decision, says political observers.
Around 55 per cent people voted in Gurugram polls. The opposition has claimed that the results also reflected that the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the “wane” due to his party’s failure to deliver.
A senior BJP leader requesting anonymity said the party was aware of the resentment among the voters and knew that the results could go against it. Many factors including local issues and national issues might have worked against the BJP in the polls, he added.
The ruling BJP, however, will manage to get its mayor in Gurugram MC with the support of independent candidates. Putting a brave face after the poll result, Haryana Ministers Anil Vij and Kavita Jain, while talking to mediapersons on Monday claimed that Mayor in MC Gurugram will be from the BJP.
While Anil Vij went onto applaud party’s performance in the elections, Kavita Jain said the party would examine the factors due to which it did not get a clear majority in the Gurugram MC polls.
A day before, Haryana PWD Minister Rao Narbir Singh had also claimed that mayor will be from the BJP and the party is also confident of gaining a majority in the MC house with the support of independents.
On the other hand, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, while talking to mediapersons said people had voted against BJP’s ideology. Both BJP and INlD were rejected by the people of Haryana in MC polls, said he.
Claiming that many Congress backed independent candidates have won the polls, Tanwar said the people of Haryana were now aware of the lies spread by BJP and the ruling party’s downfall has begun.
Meanwhile, the defeat was equally crushing for the Indian National lok Dal, which won only one seat out of 20 contested on party symbol.
Haryana’s INlD chief Ashok Arora said the party would deliberate on the reasons which led to this result. This result was also against BJP, which was the ruling party in Haryana, he added.
In 2011 MC polls in Gurugram, Congress had not fielding any candidate on the party symbol and supported independents. At that time, BJP had secured four seats, INlD six, and 25 independent candidates, largely supported by Congress, were elected.