The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) will conduct elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor on April 30, more than a year after the MCG House was elected. The polls are being held in compliance with directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Background of the Case
On March 5, the civic body informed the High Court that it would hold the elections within eight weeks. The court had taken up the matter following a petition filed by city-based resident and advocate Rohit Madan, who sought to fill the two positions that had remained vacant for over a year.
Election Details
The elections will take place at the Haryana Institute of Public Administration. Sources indicate that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fails to reach a consensus on candidates, some councillors may abstain from voting. The BJP holds a clear majority in the MCG House, having won 24 of the 36 seats in the March 2025 civic polls—its first majority in the corporation. Ten independents were also elected, eight of whom later joined the BJP. The Congress and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) won one seat each.
Gurgaon Mayor Raj Rani Malhotra stated, “Names of candidates contesting the two posts will be announced at the meeting on April 30. If more than one candidate comes forward for any post, elections will be held. Otherwise, one candidate for each post will be elected unopposed. We stand united as one House, committed to the welfare of the city, regardless of the party affiliation of winning candidates.”
Legal Provisions
Under Section 36(2) of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, the corporation is required to elect two members from among its elected councillors as senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. Their term is five years or the remainder of their tenure, whichever is shorter.
An earlier attempt to hold the elections on August 11, 2025, along with polls for the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) in both MCG and the Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM), was postponed indefinitely because councillors failed to reach a consensus.
Impact of Vacancy
The prolonged vacancy in the two posts has also raised questions about the legality of the F&CC, as the Act requires both deputy mayors to be part of the panel. Section 40(3) states that the committee must include the mayor, two deputy mayors, two elected members, and the MCG commissioner. The panel is empowered to take decisions on contracts and procurement on behalf of the corporation. At present, MCG's F&CC comprises Mayor Raj Rani Malhotra, councillors Anup Singh of Ward 25 and Sundar Singh of Ward 1, and Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya.
Precedent in MCM
Elections to the same two posts in the Municipal Corporation of Manesar were also held after the intervention of the High Court. In July last year, the High Court directed the Haryana government to conduct the elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of MCM fairly, preferably within a three-week period, following which deputies were elected in the MCM House.
