Farmers protest leaves mark on Haryana local polls

As the municipal corporation election depicted a grim picture for the BJP, ongoing farmers' protest is thought to have impacted the polls. The BJP has lost its seats in its core vote share areas.

Chandigarh: The results of the municipal bodies election in Haryana are not very encouraging for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). City voter share, which used to be considered a core voter share for the saffron party, seems to be deserting it.

The BJP must not have expected it. In Sonipat, the BJP candidate lost to Congress' Nikhil Madan with a huge margin. Haryana Jan Chetna Party's Shakti Rani Sharma has defeated BJP's candidate Vandana Sharma.

However, BJP's Kulbhushan Goyel managed to win from Panchkula. It was a direct fight between the BJP-JJP alliance and the Congress.

The BJP was also able to save Rewari seat but it was defeated in 24 out of 31 wards. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), the BJP's partner has lost polls in Dharuhera and Uklana. Independent candidates won from these two places in the civic elections.

The BJP was defeated in Sonipat where its Lalit Batra lost to Congress' Nikhil Madaan, who became Mayor. Madan, after winning the election, said that the Congress would work to develop Sonipat and fulfil all its promises.

The BJP leaders, who have lost the elections, say that they would analyse the results and try to find out the reasons for it. They said the BJP, however, has done well in Panchkula.

There could be several reasons for the BJP losing in the local bodies elections. The on-going farmers' protest against the three newly enacted farm laws has certainly impacted the polls. The JJP, as compared to the BJP, had to face more heat from the protesting farmers as they have lost all important wards.

Bhupinder Hooda's candidate also won with a big margin. The result of the elections could be an alarm bell for the BJP-JJP alliance as farmers are the core voters in a state like Haryana.