In a major setback to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, Independents will hold the key to govern the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), elections for which were held on Sunday. The BJP won just 14 out of 35 wards, Independents 20 wards and one seat went to the Indian National lok Dal (INlD), while the Congress did not contest.
The results of the MCG polls were declared late on Sunday night. Notably, 15 women candidates won in their respective wards.
Being the single-largest party, the BJP will be invited to elect the Mayor and it will have to solicit support from the Independents to run the MCG. Political pundits now say that the BJP may manage the majority with the help of Independents, many of whom are party rebels.
On the other hand, the Congress did not field any candidate under the party symbol but contested as Independent candidates. Around three to four Congress-supported candidates managed to win.
The overall voting percentage stood at 55.92.
Haryana PWD Minister Rao Narbir Singh asserted that the party will have majority support and will elect its Mayor with the help Independents.
Though the polling percentage was lower in the early hours as the day progressed the voting was brisk. Out of 5,58,884 eligible voters, 3,12,550 voters cast their votes. 202 candidates were in the fray from 35 wards. The BJP and the Indian National lok Dal were the only two parties whose candidates fought on party symbols.
There was some minor scuffle during the polls. A fake voter was arrested from Sheetla Colony. He was carrying the voting card of another person by the same name who had already voted in the morning.
Police arrested two persons from booth no. 10 at DlF Phase I community centre for showing fake voters’ ID.
There were 546 polling booths in the city, of which 153 were categorised as hypersensitive and 99 as sensitive booths. The highest voter turnout was at the Kherki Daula senior secondary school where 681 voters out of 796 cast their votes.
The lowest turnout was recorded at DlF Phase-2 polling booth at the American Montessori Public School, where only 22 out of 1,314 registered voters turned up to exercise their franchise.
Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said: “The elections were conducted in Gurugram in a peaceful and fair manner. No complaints of any violence were received. Poll results have been notified and the process to run the municipal administration will begin now.”