The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has registered a resounding victory in the Punjab civic body elections, fundamentally altering the state’s urban political landscape. As vote counting progressed on Friday, AAP candidates comfortably secured over 690 wards out of the 1,897 contested across 102 municipal bodies. The landslide victory sparked immediate celebrations at party offices across Punjab, with workers dancing to the beats of ‘dhol’ and distributing sweets.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia credited the sweeping mandate to the voters’ enduring trust in national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Taking a swipe at the central ruling party and recent Enforcement Directorate raids on AAP leaders, Sisodia said that the “ED politics” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had failed in Punjab, claiming that 1,142 BJP candidates lost their security deposits. Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema echoed the sentiment, asserting that the “transparently conducted elections serve as a direct public endorsement of the AAP government’s development agenda over the past four years”.
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The elections, held via ballot papers on May 26, recorded a voter turnout of 63.94%. A total of 7,554 candidates were in the fray across eight major municipal corporations—Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala, and Pathankot—alongside 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats. While 80 candidates were elected unopposed, the active contests revealed deep political shifts.
According to data from the Punjab State Election Commission, while AAP crossed the 690-ward milestone, the Congress managed 281 wards, Independents secured 217, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) took 150, the BJP finished with 79, and the BSP claimed six.
The results highlighted breaches into traditional opposition strongholds. In the Gidderbaha Municipal Council—a pocket widely considered the bastion of Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring—the AAP routed the opposition by winning 17 out of 19 wards, leaving the Congress with just two. Similarly, in the Dhuri Municipal Council, which falls under chief minister Mann’s assembly constituency, the AAP locked down 19 wards. The Congress found minor consolation in the Chamkaur Sahib Municipal Council, the home turf of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, where it secured seven wards against AAP’s three.
AAP leads in Sangrur
The most high-profile urban battleground was the Mohali Municipal Corporation, where AAP established outright dominance by securing 22 of the 35 declared seats in the 50-ward civic House. Prominent AAP winners included Ward No. 6 candidate Sunny Singh Ahluwalia, who won by 269 votes, and Ward No. 42 candidate Sarabjeet Singh Samana, who triumphed with a margin of 458 votes. Both leaders have now emerged as frontrunners for the prestigious post of Mohali mayor.
In contrast, the opposition suffered high-profile casualties in Mohali. The biggest upset belonged to Kanwarbir Singh Sidhu, son of veteran Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu, who suffered a stinging defeat in Ward No. 10 to Independent candidate Paramjit Singh Kahlon.
In Barnala district, out of 91 total wards across three municipalities and a municipal corporation, the AAP dominated by leading in 49 seats. In the Barnala Municipal Corporation specifically, the AAP secured a commanding lead by winning 28 of the 38 declared seats out of 50 total wards. While Independents clinched the 15-ward Tapa Municipal Council with 8 seats, AAP swept the Bhadaur and Dhanaula councils, winning 8 out of 13 wards in both bodies.
In Sangrur district, across four municipalities (Sunam, Dhuri, Bhawanigarh, and Longowal) comprising 74 wards, the AAP established an unassailable lead by winning 55 seats—more than double all other competitors combined. The Congress ranked a distant third with seven seats, all salvaged from a direct tie with AAP in Bhawanigarh.
In Jalandhar district, of the 99 total wards, the AAP emerged victorious in 49 seats, while Congress trailed second with 21 seats, closely followed by Independents with 22.
Congress wins Kapurthala MC
In Kapurthala and Majitha, in a rare bright spot for the opposition, the Congress won the Kapurthala Municipal Corporation by capturing 31 seats, leaving AAP with 11.
Meanwhile, a high-stakes, bitter battle unfolded in Majitha—the home turf of SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Facing a fierce challenge from AAP’s Talbir Singh Gill, Majithia alleged counting irregularities and repeated recounting as final declarations hung in a tense balance.
