Congress Fields First-Time Candidate Sudha Bhardwaj for Panchkula Mayoral Polls
The Indian National Congress has announced Sudha Bhardwaj, a 65-year-old first-time candidate, as its nominee for the upcoming Panchkula mayoral elections scheduled for May 10. Bhardwaj, a resident of Sector 6 with degrees from Kurukshetra University, was selected over former mayor Upinder Ahluwalia and Ravinder Rawal, reflecting internal party dynamics involving factions led by Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Previously serving as state president and vice-president of the Congress women’s wing, Bhardwaj is supported by her husband, Sanjeev Bhardwaj, the Haryana Congress media in-charge. He emphasized her history of social service, particularly during the pandemic, and criticized the current administration for deteriorating civic facilities and a recent Rs 160-crore bank fraud. The outgoing mayor, Kulbhushan Goyal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has not yet seen his party name a successor. This announcement marks a strategic shift for the Congress in Panchkula, aiming to capitalize on local dissatisfaction with urban governance while the BJP deliberates its candidate choice.
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Congress Fields First-Time Candidate Sudha Bhardwaj for Panchkula Mayoral Polls
The Indian National Congress has announced Sudha Bhardwaj, a 65-year-old first-time candidate, as its nominee for the upcoming Panchkula mayoral elections scheduled for May 10. Bhardwaj, a resident of Sector 6 with degrees from Kurukshetra University, was selected over former mayor Upinder Ahluwalia and Ravinder Rawal, reflecting internal party dynamics involving factions led by Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Previously serving as state president and vice-president of the Congress women’s wing, Bhardwaj is supported by her husband, Sanjeev Bhardwaj, the Haryana Congress media in-charge. He emphasized her history of social service, particularly during the pandemic, and criticized the current administration for deteriorating civic facilities and a recent Rs 160-crore bank fraud. The outgoing mayor, Kulbhushan Goyal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has not yet seen his party name a successor. This announcement marks a strategic shift for the Congress in Panchkula, aiming to capitalize on local dissatisfaction with urban governance while the BJP deliberates its candidate choice.
The Indian Express