Twenty-three-year-old UPSC aspirant Rima Soni pulled off a major upset in the Municipal Committee elections in Uklana town of Hisar district by defeating BJP candidate Nikita Goyal by 2,806 votes in the chairperson contest.
Rima, daughter of local jeweller Mahender Soni, secured 7,078 votes, while Nikita Goyal, daughter-in-law of BJP leader Shriniwas Goyal, polled 4,272 votes. Independent candidates Sonia Batra and Meenu Rani received 249 and 83 votes, respectively, while 62 voters opted for NOTA.
The contest had gained significance after senior BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the party’s state leadership, campaigned in support of the BJP nominee. However, Rima, contesting as an Independent with Congress backing, emerged victorious in what eventually became a direct fight between her and the BJP candidate.
Reacting to her victory, Rima said the election result reflected people’s faith in ordinary families and young women.
“I showed what a 23-year-old girl can do. It happened due to the support of people. I am from a modest family. But they too can see now what a girl is capable of doing,” she said after the results were declared.
Rima received active support from Congress leaders, including local MLA Naresh Selwal and district Congress president Brij Lal Bahbalpuria, both of whom campaigned for her and later joined the victory celebrations. Her father, Mahender Soni, a former ward member, had earlier contested the chairperson election as a JJP candidate but lost.
According to local residents, the momentum shifted decisively in Rima’s favour after the first two rounds of counting. The BJP candidate reportedly left the counting centre soon afterwards, while Rima’s supporters took out a victory procession through the town.
Speaking to ‘The Tribune’, Rima described the result as “the victory of the people of Uklana”.
“Today, I am happy that people of Uklana are feeling happy. It is the outcome of collective efforts. I am thankful to the electorate and all the political parties and leaders who backed me in this election,” she said.
