Polling for Haryana’s civic body elections ended peacefully on Sunday with an overall voter turnout of around 54%, according to data released by the Haryana State Election Commission (SEC). Voting was held for seven municipal bodies and 528 panchayats across the state.
Although a few minor skirmishes and complaints were reported from some polling stations, officials said the overall election process remained peaceful, fair, and transparent.
Voting started at 8 am and continued till 6 pm. After polling ended, election officials sealed the electronic voting machines (EVMs) under tight security.
The counting of votes will take place on May 13, when the final results will be announced.
According to SEC figures, around 8.73 lakh voters were eligible to cast their votes in the local body elections. Out of them, nearly 4.75 lakh people exercised their right to vote.
Among the three municipal corporations that went to polls, Sonepat recorded the lowest turnout at 48%.
Ambala recorded a voter turnout of 54.3%, while Panchkula saw 53.4% voting.
In Sonepat, around 2.96 lakh voters were eligible to vote across 22 wards and 264 polling booths.
Apart from the three municipal corporations, polling was also held for the election of president and councillors in the Rewari Municipal Council.
Voting also took place in municipal committees of Sampla in Rohtak district, Dharuhera in Rewari district, and Uklana in Hisar district.
By-elections were also conducted for one ward each in Tohana, Jhajjar, Rajound, Taraori, Kanina, and Sadhaura.
Officials said all polling stations were monitored closely by election staff and police teams to ensure peaceful voting.
Security arrangements were strengthened in sensitive areas to prevent disturbances.
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The highest voter turnout was recorded in Sampla Municipal Committee, where 79.2% of voters cast their votes.
Uklana followed with 75.7% turnout, while Dharuhera recorded 72.4%.
Rewari Municipal Council recorded 64.8% polling.
Political observers are closely watching the results, especially in Sampla, which falls in the political area of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
The high turnout there has created interest because the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contested the election on its party symbol, while the Congress did not field an official candidate.
Instead, Hooda appealed to voters to support the strongest candidate capable of defeating the BJP.
This has made the result in Sampla politically important.
In Sonepat and Rewari, the main contest was directly between BJP and Congress candidates.
In Sonepat, BJP candidate Rajiv Jain faced Congress candidate Kamal Diwan in a closely watched contest.
In Uklana, BJP’s Nikita Goel faced strong competition from Independent candidate Rima Soni.
Independent candidates also made several contests more competitive in municipal committees like Sampla and Dharuhera.
Many local voters said they expected close contests because independent candidates had strong local support in several wards.
Political analysts believe local issues such as roads, sanitation, drainage, water supply, and development work played an important role in voter decisions.
Unlike state and national elections, civic polls often depend heavily on local leadership and personal connections with voters.
Although polling remained mostly peaceful, some complaints were reported from different areas.
In Rewari, tension was reported after allegations of bogus voting.
Police detained a young man who was accused of trying to cast a fake vote at a polling booth located in a Government Senior Secondary School.
An investigation into the matter has been started.
A similar complaint was reported in Sonepat’s Ward Number 2.
A voter alleged that when he arrived at the polling station, officials informed him that someone had already voted in his name.
The voter expressed anger and demanded an inquiry into the matter.
A similar allegation was also reported in Uklana.
Election officials said such complaints were being examined according to election rules.
Some complaints were also made about arrangements for elderly voters.
In Uklana, family members of an 80-year-old voter alleged that no wheelchair facility was available at the polling station.
They also claimed that security staff behaved improperly when they raised the issue.
Officials said they would look into the complaint.
Despite these issues, election authorities said all complaints were addressed quickly to maintain smooth polling.
State Election Commissioner Devinder Singh Kalyan praised the election staff for ensuring peaceful voting.
He said the commission had made all necessary arrangements to ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in the election process.
He added that all complaints and objections received during polling were handled according to rules.
The commissioner said the SEC remained committed to maintaining public trust in Haryana’s electoral process.
He also thanked voters, polling officials, police personnel, and district administrations for their cooperation.
The counting of votes on May 13 is expected to reveal important political trends in Haryana’s local politics.
The results may also offer clues about voter mood ahead of future state-level political contests.
For now, election officials are focused on safely storing the EVMs until counting day.
With voting completed peacefully across most areas, attention has now shifted to the results, which will decide the leadership of key civic bodies across Haryana for the coming term.
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