Punjab civic polls: AAP wins big, Congress trails in second place

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has emerged as the dominant force in Punjab's civic body elections, winning nearly half of all wards contested and strengthening its position ahead of the state's Assembly elections next year.

According to data released by the Punjab State Election Commission, AAP won 958 out of 1,977 wards across municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats, securing more than 48 per cent of the seats on offer. Congress finished a distant second with 397 wards, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 192 and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 172. Independent candidates won 251 wards, while the BSP secured seven.

The results are being viewed as an important political test for the ruling party and a measure of public sentiment ahead of the Assembly elections expected in early 2027.

Also Read | AAP storms Punjab civic polls as Congress trails and BJP pockets gains

AAP dominates key municipal corporations

AAP secured clear majorities in several municipal corporations, including Moga, Barnala, Bathinda and Batala, while also emerging as the single largest party in Mohali. The party won 36 wards in Barnala, 31 in Bathinda and 30 each in Moga and Batala. In Mohali, it secured 26 wards, enough to emerge as the largest political force in the corporation.

Congress performed strongly in Kapurthala, winning 31 wards, while BJP emerged as the single largest party in Pathankot and Abohar. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal described the outcome as a "spectacular" victory and thanked voters for backing the party.

"Congratulations to everyone. By casting this historic vote, the people have applauded the work of the Bhagwant Mann government. We will continue to do good work in the same way in the future," Kejriwal said. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the results reflected public approval of his government's development agenda and rejection of divisive politics.

Opposition questions poll conduct

While AAP celebrated the results, opposition parties accused the ruling party of misusing government machinery during the elections. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring congratulated party workers for what he described as a spirited fight against AAP's "high-handedness".

He alleged that the ruling party had relied on a strategy of "saam, daam, dand, bhed" during the campaign and accused it of abusing official machinery to influence the outcome.

The BJP, which had hoped to use the civic polls to strengthen its urban presence in Punjab, failed to make significant gains despite emerging as the largest party in a few municipal corporations. Political observers noted that the results fell short of the party's expectations.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, meanwhile, drew some comfort from retaining pockets of support in urban segments, suggesting that the party still maintains a presence despite recent electoral setbacks.

Ballot-paper election sees strong turnout

The elections were conducted using ballot papers across 102 municipal bodies, including eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats.

Also Read | 'ED party wiped out': Kejriwal strikes at BJP after Punjab civic sweep

Polling took place on May 26 and recorded a voter turnout of 63.94 per cent. Of the 1,977 wards, candidates in 80 wards were elected unopposed. More than 7,500 candidates were in the fray.

AAP also recorded a dominant performance in Dhuri, Chief Minister Mann's home constituency, winning 19 of the 21 municipal council wards.

The outcome is expected to strengthen AAP's confidence as it heads into a politically significant year, while forcing opposition parties to reassess their strategies ahead of the next Assembly election.