Gurgaon: Former councillors
, who were denied tickets by BJP and Congress, can prove to be tough competition for the major political parties in the civic polls — they have filed nominations as independents.
On Monday, which marked the final submission date, several dissenting members submitted their nomination papers. During the 2017 elections,
independent candidates
secured a commanding position by winning 20 out of 35 seats, BJP claimed 14 seats while INLD managed to win one seat.
Former councillors, now standing as independents, said these elections “focus on local governance and community issues”. They expressed their commitment to continue their work, citing their “previous experience and contributions” during the last council term.
Former councillors who filed the nomination on Monday included Rama Rani Rathee, Mahesh Dayma, Gurgaon’s first mayor’s wife Rimple Yadav, who was a councillor in the last term, Praveen Lata Yadav and her husband Rakesh Yadav. Rathee said she tried her best to secure a BJP ticket. However, “it was not given” to her. She joined BJP in Sept 2021 ahead of the civic bypoll of ward number 34, the seat which was left vacant after Rama’s councillor husband RS Rathee passed away. She emerged victorious in the bypoll in Oct 2021. She was the councillor from the same ward from 2011 to 2016.
Rama, who filed her nomination from ward number 23, said, “Despite not receiving a BJP ticket, I remain determined to participate in the elections. My dedication to serving the constituents in my ward drives me forward.”
Another former councillor, Mahesh Dayma, who filed a nomination for ward number 20, was associated with BJP since 2013. However, he joined Congress in Aug 2024, a month before the Haryana assembly elections. He was also denied a ticket from Congress and decided to contest as an independent candidate. “I initially secured a position as a zila parishad member in 2005, followed by my election as councillor in 2011 and was re-elected in the 2017 elections. Throughout my tenure, I dedicated myself to public service. These local elections focus primarily on community issues rather than party politics.”
Dayma said, “Voters ought to support councillors who demonstrated their commitment through grassroots work and consistently strived to improve their respective wards.”
Rimple, who was the councillor in the previous house, filed her nomination as an independent for ward number 2. Rimple said, “The party (BJP) opted to field fresh candidates instead of experienced party workers who contributed significantly during Lok Sabha and assembly polls. I felt compelled to contest when denied a ticket, particularly as our village panchayat collectively decided to nominate a local representative.”
“With our village commanding over 5,000 votes and our family’s longstanding service to the city, my candidature was deemed appropriate,” she said.
Praveen Lata, who was councillor in the previous house, and her husband Rakesh Yadav have been associated with the BJP for years now. However, both of them were denied a ticket. They filed their nominations on Monday. Praveen filed her nomination for ward number 15 and Rakesh is contesting from ward number 14.
Rakesh said, “All the field survey reports of BJP showed that I am going to win the elections. My seven years of public service speaks volumes.”
“Since joining BJP in 2012, I actively participated in various party activities, starting with a (PM Narendra) Modi rally in Rewari. Despite my unwavering commitment to the party, both my wife and I were overlooked for tickets, not just this year but also during the previous MCG elections. This led to my decision to stand as an independent candidate,” said Rakesh.
