Ggm, Manesar municipal polls: 538 nominees cleared, 9 rejected
The municipal elections across Haryana, including Manesar and Gurgaon, are scheduled for March 2, with counting of votes slated for March 12.
With the municipal polls scheduled for next month across Haryana, district election officer Ajay Kumar, on Tuesday, said that 538 candidates have been declared eligible for the election in Gurugram following the scrutiny of nomination papers. Nine nominations for the post of ward councillor were rejected during the verification process, officials said.
The scrutiny, conducted on Tuesday at the offices of the returning officers, covered nominations for the Municipal Corporations of Gurugram and Manesar, along with the municipal councils of Pataudi, Jatauli Mandi, Sohna, and the municipal committee of Farrukhnagar. Officials confirmed that all nominations for the post of mayor in Gurugram and Manesar, as well as chairperson positions in Pataudi, Jatauli Mandi, Sohna, and Farrukhnagar, were found valid.
The municipal elections are scheduled for March 2, with counting of votes slated for March 12.
According to the results of the scrutiny, in the Gurugram municipal corporation, 220 candidates filed nominations for 36 ward councillor positions, of which 216 were declared valid. In the Manesar municipal corporation, 170 candidates submitted nominations for 20 wards, with 167 passing scrutiny. For the Farrukhnagar municipal committee, covering 16 wards, all 48 nominations were found valid. Meanwhile, the Pataudi-Jatauli Mandi municipal council received 109 nominations for 22 wards, with 107 clearing the scrutiny.
The officer said that the nine rejections were due to errors or incomplete sections in affidavits, blank columns in forms, or submission discrepancies such as multiple sets of nomination papers from the same candidate. He assured that the scrutiny was conducted thoroughly to maintain transparency and fairness. “Candidates can withdraw their nominations until 3pm on Wednesday. Following the withdrawal deadline, the final list of candidates will be published, and election symbols will be allotted at 3pm on the same day,” said Kumar.
As the nomination phase concludes, the electoral battlefield is shaping up differently across wards. In some areas, competition is fierce, with as many as seven candidates contesting for the post of councillor, resulting in multi-cornered battles. These wards are expected to witness aggressive campaigning as candidates seek to secure their voter base. On the other hand, several wards will see a direct contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with no independent candidates filing nominations.
Residents meanwhile, remain focused on civic issues. Many voters have said that they will support candidates who demonstrate a commitment to solving local problems. Vinod Tayal, a resident of DLF Phase 2, said that issues like water shortages, power cuts, and traffic congestion dominate their concerns. “We want better roads, regular garbage collection, and safer neighbourhoods for our children. Our vote will go to the candidate who can deliver solutions, not just promises,” he said.
In Ward 14, the election is set to be particularly intense, with eight candidates in the fray. Among them is Rama Rani Rathee, who previously contested on a BJP ticket but is now running as an independent. With 21,470 votes expected to be divided among eight candidates, the contest is likely to be close. Rathee faces tough competition from the BJP and Congress.
Rajkumar Yadav, RWA president of Sector 46, who is contesting on a Congress ticket criticised the previous councillor for ignoring civic issues and highlighted his own record as an RWA leader. “I have spent 20 years solving problems in my locality—from repairing roads to fixing sewerage and ensuring better streetlights. Now, I want to take my experience to a larger platform,” he said.