Panchkula, April 24
The contest for mayor in Panchkula formally began on Friday as candidates from the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted their nomination papers following rallies and roadshows. Congress candidate Sudha Bhardwaj filed her nomination in the presence of senior leaders including Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala. However, the absence of leaders from the party’s Hooda faction highlighted ongoing internal divisions. Despite this, speakers at the event focused their criticism on the BJP rather than addressing the rift.
On the BJP side, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini led a roadshow in support of mayoral candidate Shyam Lal Bansal. In his address, Saini spoke broadly about national politics, expressing confidence in his party’s electoral prospects elsewhere in the country, while urging voters to support a “triple-engine” government for Panchkula.
Bansal, in his speech, emphasised his familiarity with the city and its development, though he avoided mentioning the outgoing mayor.
Meanwhile, signs of dissent also emerged within the BJP, with councillor Sonia Sood announcing she would contest as an independent candidate from Ward 4 after being denied a party ticket.
The elections, scheduled for 10 May, will cover 20 wards in the municipal corporation. Both the Congress and the BJP have announced most of their candidates, while the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded contenders in several wards.
More than 200,000 voters are expected to take part in the election, which is being closely watched as a test of local political strength in Haryana.
