The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again retained control of the Ambala Municipal Corporation after its candidate Akshita Saini won the mayoral election with a large margin of 21,358 votes.
The 32-year-old BJP leader defeated Congress candidate Kulwinder Kaur in a closely watched election held for the mayor’s post reserved for backward class women candidates. Independent candidate Sonia Chaudhary finished in third place despite running an active campaign across the city.
The election result was announced on Wednesday after counting of votes was completed in 16 rounds. Counting began at 8 am and BJP candidate Akshita Saini maintained a steady lead throughout all rounds.
According to the final figures, Akshita Saini received 52,794 votes. Congress candidate Kulwinder Kaur secured 31,436 votes, while Independent candidate Sonia Chaudhary got 21,730 votes.
The victory helped the BJP continue its political dominance in Ambala Municipal Corporation. The party had also won the mayoral by-election last year.
Soon after the result, BJP workers and supporters celebrated the victory with slogans, sweets and gatherings outside the counting centre. Akshita Saini thanked party leaders and voters for supporting her.
Speaking after her victory, Saini expressed gratitude to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and BJP state president Mohanlal Badoli. She also gave special credit to former minister and former Ambala MLA Aseem Goel for leading the campaign and working actively at the ground level.
She said the victory belonged to the people of Ambala and promised to work for development and better civic facilities in the city.
Former minister Aseem Goel described the result as a public endorsement of the BJP government’s development work. He called it support for the “triple engine” government, referring to BJP governments at the Centre, state and local body levels working together.
According to Goel, the result showed that people trusted the BJP’s governance and development agenda. He said the chief minister would continue to give special attention to Ambala because it is his home district.
The election saw moderate voter participation. Around 53.4 per cent of eligible voters cast their votes during polling held on May 10. Out of nearly 1.98 lakh eligible voters, a significant number turned out to participate in the election.
The mayoral contest was important because Ambala remains politically significant for all major parties in Haryana. BJP, Congress and Independent candidates all campaigned strongly during the election period.
Akshita Saini’s victory margin of more than 21,000 votes showed the BJP’s strong organisational presence in the city. Political observers noted that the BJP maintained its advantage throughout the campaign and counting process.
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The Congress had hoped to improve its performance and challenge the BJP strongly in Ambala. However, the party failed to close the large gap in votes during the counting rounds.
Independent candidate Sonia Chaudhary also attracted attention during the campaign and managed to secure over 21,000 votes. Even though she could not win, her campaign added competition to the election.
This is not the first time BJP has won the Ambala mayoral seat. In the by-election held in March last year, BJP candidate Shailja Sachdeva had also won the post comfortably. She had defeated Congress candidate Amisha Chawla by 20,487 votes.
Earlier, the mayoral seat was held by Shakti Rani Sharma of the Haryana Jan Chetna Party (HJCP). Later, Sharma became a BJP MLA after winning the Kalka Assembly constituency, which led to the need for a by-election for the mayor’s post.
The latest victory further strengthens the BJP’s position in local politics in Ambala and nearby areas. The party leadership believes the result reflects public support for the state government’s work in infrastructure, civic administration and welfare schemes.
After the results, BJP leaders said they would continue focusing on road improvement, sanitation, water supply and other urban development projects in Ambala. Party leaders also claimed that better coordination between the municipal corporation, Haryana government and Centre would help speed up development work.
Congress leaders, meanwhile, are expected to review the reasons behind the defeat. Political analysts say the Congress still faces challenges in rebuilding its local organisation and voter support in several urban areas of Haryana.
The election also highlighted the importance of local leadership in municipal polls. BJP leaders repeatedly praised Aseem Goel for his role in managing the campaign and mobilising party workers at the booth level.
Many BJP supporters viewed the result as a sign that the party continues to enjoy strong support among urban voters in Haryana. The party has already been performing strongly in several municipal and assembly elections across the state.
For Akshita Saini, the victory marks a major step in her political career. At 32 years old, she is among the younger leaders in Haryana local politics. Supporters described her win as a sign that the BJP is promoting new leadership at the grassroots level.
Following her victory, Saini assured residents that she would focus on improving public services and solving civic problems faced by people in Ambala. She said issues like cleanliness, traffic, drainage and development projects would receive priority attention.
The mayor-elect also promised to work closely with residents and local representatives to ensure faster implementation of development schemes.
With the results now declared, the focus will shift from campaigning to governance. Residents of Ambala will be watching closely to see how the newly elected mayor handles the city’s growing civic needs and development demands in the coming months.
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