Gurgaon: Day after civic poll defeat, BJP ‘confident’ of forming board

Independent candidates had won 20 seats. (Express Photo by Manoj Kumar)

Despite securing only 14 votes, after re-counting, in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) elections held on Sunday, BJP leaders claimed they are confident of securing the 19 seats required to form the board. While the party fielded candidates in all 35 wards, it lost 20 seats to independent candidates and one to a candidate fielded by the Indian National Lok Dal.

Speaking to The Indian Express after the results, BJP Haryana spokesperson, Raman Malik, had claimed that several independent candidates who won were those aspiring for a BJP ticket. Since the party could field only 35 candidates, they were unable to secure a ticket and had to contest as independents, Malik said. Confirming this, BJP leader G L Sharma — who was also part of the party’s MCG election committee — said they are confident of winning the support of at least some independent candidates.

“Among the winners, 14 candidates had initially approached us for tickets. They believe in our party and its core values but could not get a ticket,” Sharma said. “However, if they still have faith in us, we will definitely take them back into our fold. Thirteen or fourteen of them have already approached us… We are quite confident we will secure the 19 seats required to dominate the civic body,” he added.

Among the BJP candidates who lost were relatives of prominent figures, including Pramod Mangla, son of Bhani Ram Mangla, chairperson of the Gau Seva Ayog, Haryana; and Himani Aggarwal, sister-in-law of MLA Umesh Aggarwal.

Meanwhile, during a press conference Monday, senior Congress leader, Captain (Retd) Ajay Singh Yadav, said the party would have won if it had contested the elections on its symbol. “Seven of the 15 candidates who had our support have won in their wards… If we had fielded candidates on our party symbol, we would have secured at least 25 seats,” he said. “People are disillusioned with the BJP because of its misrule over the last three years… In the next Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls, the people will reply to the BJP by electing the Congress,” he added.