Sonipat: With political activity gaining momentum ahead of the Haryana civic body elections, the Congress has announced its mayoral candidates for key municipal corporations, signalling an early push to consolidate its position on the ground.In Sonipat, the party has fielded its urban district president Kamal Diwan as the mayoral candidate, while Kulwinder Kaur has been named for Ambala. The Panchkula seat, however, has been kept on hold, with a decision expected shortly.Diwan, who has been actively preparing for the polls over the past four months, expressed confidence in his candidature, stating that he was certain of securing the party ticket. “I had contested earlier as well. Though I lost, I am confident of a decisive victory this time,” he said, adding that the contest would primarily be against the BJP.According to Diwan, his name was finalised during a key meeting in Delhi, where senior Congress leaders endorsed his candidature. He also said that former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, along with Haryana Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, extended their support and urged him to intensify preparations on the ground.Diwan had earlier contested the 2025 Sonipat municipal bypoll but lost to BJP’s Rajiv Jain. He comes from a family with longstanding ties to the Congress and currently heads a charitable trust, besides serving as the party’s urban district president.In Ambala, Kulwinder Kaur, who belongs to the Saini community, has been fielded from a seat reserved for the BC category. Her husband, Kripal Singh, a retired Army personnel and Congress leader, is also active in social and political circles.Electoral backdropThe BJP has had a strong run in recent municipal contests. In Panchkula (2020), BJP’s Kulbhushan Goyal won the mayoral poll with 49,860 votes. In Ambala, the BJP secured a comfortable victory, defeating the Congress candidate by over 20,000 votes. In Sonipat’s 2025 bypoll, BJP’s Rajiv Jain defeated Diwan by a margin of 34,749 votes.Poll scheduleElections will be held in municipal corporations of Sonipat, Panchkula and Ambala, along with Rewari Municipal Council and municipalities including Uklana, Dharuhera and Sampla. Voting is scheduled for May 10 (8 am to 6 pm).The nomination process will run from April 21 to April 25, scrutiny will be held on April 27, and the last date for withdrawal is April 28, when symbols will also be allotted. Repoll, if required, will be conducted on May 12, and counting will take place on May 13.With both major parties gearing up, the civic polls are expected to witness a keen contest across key urban centres in Haryana.
