BJP candidate Rajiv Jain was elected mayor for the second time in the Sonepat Municipal Corporation (MC) elections, whose results were declared on Wednesday. Born on February 12, 1964, Jain covered his way from a journalist to the Sonepat’s Mayor. Jain entered politics during his student life. He became secretary of the student’s union. He entered the field of journalism in 1986 and worked for seven years till 1993 with leading Hindi papers.
He entered active politics in 1986 and held a 45-day statewide foot march against corruption and unemployment as a part of a public awareness campaign. Due to his journalism and his interest in politics, he came close to former Chief Minister Bansi Lal and joined the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) in 1994. He served as HVP’s press secretary and later became its general secretary.
When the HVP came into power in the state, he served as media advisor to Chief Minister Bansi Lal from 1996 to 1999. He contested the Assembly election two times unsuccessfully on the HVP. In 2007, Jain joined the BJP and in 2009, his wife Kavita Jain was elected Sonepat MLA. In 2014, Kavita once again won the Sonepat election. Kavita Jain was Cabinet Minister in the BJP’s government first tenure in the state, while Jain served as media advisor of former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The ruling party fielded Jain in the mayoral by-election held in March 2025, in which he defeated Congress’ candidate Kamal Diwan by a margin of 34,970 votes. The seat of Sonepat mayor got vacant after the first incumbent Nikhil Madaan joined the BJP just before the Assembly elections in October 2024.
This time, Jain won the mayoral elections by defeating Congress candidate Kamal Diwan by a margin of 23, 247 votes.
Jain said he would work for the overall development of the city. He further said completion of pending projects would be his top priority. After declaration of the poll result, the BJP organised a victory procession in the city. Rajiv Jain, along with state president Mohan Badoli, MLA Nikhil Madaan, former minister Kavita Jain, district president Ashok Bhardwaj and other leaders, were present on the occasion.
