Congress had 1 councillor. How it still won Tijara by 2 votes in late-night twist

Congress candidate Ramavatar Saini won the Tijara Nagar Parishad chairperson election by two votes after a delayed poll. But the most striking part of the Tijara result is the council's arithmetic. With 18 votes required to win the chairperson's post, the independents held the balance of power.The election was preceded by allegations that Congress-supported councillors had been stopped in Haryana while returning from Himachal Pradesh. (Screen grab: ITG)Congress secured control of the Tijara Municipal Council on Monday after its candidate Ramavatar Saini defeated BJP's Subhash Chand Saini by just two votes in a chairperson election that stretched late into the night and was preceded by a political confrontation on the Rajasthan-Haryana border.Saini secured 18 votes against Subhash Chand Saini's 16, while one vote was declared invalid. All 35 councillors eventually cast their votes, with the last votes being polled around 9.45 pm.The result was significant not just because of the narrow margin, but because of the unusual arithmetic of the 35-member council. Thirty-one councillors were independents, compared with three from the BJP and just one from Congress. With 18 votes required to become chairperson, the independent councillors held the decisive numbers.31 INDEPENDENTS HELD THE KEYThe Tijara result shows how the chairperson's election was never going to be determined by the strength of either major party alone. The BJP had three councillors and Congress just one. The remaining 31 were independents, meaning the support of independent councillors was essential for either candidate to reach the 18-vote majority mark.Ramavatar Saini eventually got exactly 18 votes, while BJP's Subhash Chand Saini received 16. One ballot was invalid. The two-vote difference therefore decided the contest in a council where independent councillors had overwhelmingly more seats than either Congress or BJP. Saini's victory gave Congress the chairperson's post despite the party having only one elected councillor of its own.The result also underlined the importance of the political manoeuvring around the independent councillors before the vote. The uncertainty over their availability became the central issue in the hours leading up to polling.18 COUNCILLORS AT CENTRE OF POLITICAL STORMThe election was preceded by allegations that Congress-supported councillors had been stopped in Haryana while returning from Himachal Pradesh.Congress leaders alleged that around 18-19 councillors, along with former Tijara MLA Sandeep Yadav, were stopped by Haryana Police in the Panchkula area. The allegations triggered protests by Congress leaders, including a demonstration outside the Pinjore police station.Congress leader Imran Khan said he was informed on Sunday night that the councillors had been stopped and subsequently travelled with supporters to Panchkula. He claimed that he reached there around 4 am and visited five to six police stations looking for the councillors, but did not receive clear information from the police.According to Khan, buses and vehicles carrying the councillors were found outside police stations. He alleged that the councillors were later taken towards the Morni Hills area. He also claimed that he saw nine councillors inside one bus but was not allowed to meet them, while two to three police vehicles escorted the bus.Khan alleged that the councillors were being prevented from reaching Tijara to cast their votes.The police presented a different version of the events, denied the allegations and said the matter would be investigated.VOTING TIME EXTENDED TWICEThe controversy over the councillors' arrival created uncertainty over the chairperson election. With councillors reaching Tijara late, the voting deadline was first extended to 8 pm and subsequently to 10 pm.The polling eventually continued until around 9.45 pm, when all 35 councillors had cast their votes.The final count settled the contest: 18 votes for Ramavatar Saini, 16 for Subhash Chand Saini and one invalid vote.The outcome meant that the independent councillors effectively determined who would control the council. Their support was the difference between falling short of the majority and securing the chairperson's post.SANDIP YADAV WARNS OF LEGAL ACTIONFormer Tijara MLA Sandeep Yadav described the events surrounding the election as a serious issue concerning elected representatives. He alleged that councillors, women and children accompanying them were mistreated in Haryana.Yadav also claimed that women were surrounded by security personnel carrying AK-47 rifles and that children faced difficulties even getting water. He said the matter would be taken to the High Court through a writ petition against those involved, including the Haryana government and police.He also said a larger movement would be launched in Tijara over the rights of elected representatives.For now, however, the immediate political outcome is clear. After a day of allegations, protests, uncertainty over councillors' movement and a late-night vote, Ramavatar Saini's 18 votes were enough to put the Congress in control of the Tijara Nagar Parishad.The result also offers the clearest reading of Tijara's civic arithmetic: with 31 independents in a 35-member council, the chairperson's chair was ultimately decided by the bloc that held the balance of power.- EndsInputs from Himanshu Sharma and Sharat KumarPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 17:07 IST