Panchkula, April 29 -- Battlelines have been drawn. As many as six mayoral aspirants and 87 ward nominees will fight it out to rule the Panchkula civic body over the next five years, with elections slated for May 10. Following the scrutiny of papers and withdrawal of nominations, for which Tuesday was the last day, those in fray for the mayor's post are Bharatiya Janata Party's Shyam Lal Bansal, Congress' Sudha Bhardwaj, Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) Manoj Aggarwal, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajesh Kumar and two Independents Chandan Singh and Karnail Singh. Poll watchers predict a keen contest between BJP's Bansal and Congress' Bhardwaj. Bansal, 71, a long-time RSS worker, who has contested assembly elections twice, has a strong support base, particularly within the Aggarwal community. On the other hand, Congress candidate Bhardwaj, 65, a former state president of the party's women's wing who has held several key positions, is expected to pose a strong challenge. The BJP recently managed to bring former Congress mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia to its side. Apart from BJP and Congress, INLD's Manoj Aggarwal and AAP's Rajesh Kumar are also making efforts to secure the mayoral post, indicating a multi-cornered contest. Among councillor contests, outgoing councillor Omvati Punia is seen as a strong contender from Ward 12, having previously won the seat twice. In another key contest, social worker Parveen Goyal is up against 21-year-old Parth Gupta, grandson of former Panchkula MLA and former Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, in Ward 6. The Panchkula MC, formed in 2013, initially had a majority of Congress councillors. However, after the BJP came to power in Haryana in 2014, the political landscape in the city witnessed significant changes. In the last MC term (2021-25), the BJP had the highest number of councillors (9), followed by Congress (7), while the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) secured two seats and two Independents also won. Later, political realignments increased the BJP's strength to 12 with the support of the JJP and one Independent councillor. However, elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor could not be conducted during the five-year term. Sources said the delay was due to differences between BJP and JJP, and concerns over shifting political support after the alliance ended. Despite repeated election promises, Panchkula residents continue to face several unresolved civic issues. Major concerns include the persistent dumping ground crisis in Sector 23, irregular garbage collection, and a decline in the city's Swachh Survekshan ranking. Infrastructure-related problems such as damaged roads, open drains, and poorly maintained vacant plots continue to pose safety and health risks. Additionally, a significant number of non-functional CCTV cameras, the growing menace of stray animals, and encroached footpaths remain pressing concerns. Issues like the expansion of illegal colonies, alleged financial irregularities in the MC, and stalled development projects have further contributed to public dissatisfaction. Lack of coordination between departments and ongoing traffic mismanagement at key junctions also continue to trouble residents, despite assurances during every election cycle....