Electorates of five municipal corporations in Punjab delivered a fractured mandate in Saturday’s polls, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) securing a clear majority in only Patiala. The ruling party swept former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s stronghold, winning 35 of the 45 wards that went to polls. Adding eight unopposed victories and seven deferred wards, AAP has a majority with 43 councillors in the 60-member municipal corporation.
However, AAP faced setbacks in Amritsar and Phagwara, where it finished second. In Ludhiana and Jalandhar, it emerged as the largest party but fell short of the majority needed to install its Mayors, necessitating alliances or support from Independents and smaller parties.
The Congress is poised to lead in Amritsar and Phagwara, with a clear majority when factoring in alliances. In Amritsar, Congress won 43 of the 85 wards, while in Phagwara, it secured 22 seats and is likely to ally with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which won nine seats.
In Jalandhar, AAP claimed 39 of 85 seats, needing external support to appoint its Mayor. Meanwhile, Ludhiana saw AAP win 41 of 95 seats, followed by Congress with 30 and BJP with 19.
The polls were not without controversy. In Patiala, a High Court order delayed elections in seven wards after allegations of AAP supporters obstructing opposition candidates from filing nominations. Viral videos of such incidents sparked criticism.
In Ludhiana, AAP faced embarrassment as the wives of two MLAs lost their contests. Meanwhile, Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, saw a fragmented verdict, with Independents winning the most seats.
AAP Punjab President Aman Arora lauded the party’s performance, stating that it had created history by winning over 50% of wards across Punjab. However, he dismissed speculation of an alliance with Congress in Punjab, clarifying that their INDIA bloc partnership is limited to the national level.
Arora criticised the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal, claiming they had struggled to find candidates. He praised the Election Commission for conducting transparent polls and credited AAP’s governance model for the party’s gains.
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