March 2 Set for Haryana Municipal Elections: 33 Cities to Vote, NOTA Rule Introduced

Haryana's State Election Commission announces local body elections for March 2, 2025. The elections will be held in major cities including Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Karnal, Hisar, Rohtak, and yamunanagar. By elections will be held for Mayoral seats in Ambala and Sonepat. Additionally, three municipal president positions in Sohna, Assandh, and Ismailabad will also be filled through elections. The extensive electoral exercise will cover 212 wards in Municipal Corporations, 118 wards in Municipal Councils, and 214 wards in Municipal Committees. 

Important Dates

• Nomination Filing: February 11-17, 2025 
• Scrutiny of Papers: February 18, 2025
• Last Date for Withdrawal: February 19, 2025
• Voting Day: March 2, 2025 (March 9 for Panipat)
• Result Day: March 12, 2025 

New Rules and Requirements

The SEC has introduced groundbreaking changes, including the NOTA clause that can trigger re-elections if it receives the most votes. Educational requirements vary from Class 10 for general candidates to Class 5 for SC women candidates. Campaign spending limits have been increased, with mayoral candidates now allowed to spend up to Rs 30 lakh which is 5 lakh more than previous limit of 25 lakh. 

The commission will deploy:

• 25,000 polling personnel
• 10,000 EVMs
• Senior IAS/HCS officers as election observers
• IPS/HPS officers as police observers 
• Excise and Taxation officers as expenditure observers 

State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh emphasized that the model code of conduct is now in effect, and officials on election duty will not be transferred until the process concludes.