The outcomes of municipal polls in Punjab introduced cheer to the ruling Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP), reduction to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and disappointment to the Bharatiya Janata Occasion, even because the opposition events accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP authorities of “overreach”.
The primary opposition occasion, the Congress, which got here in far behind, argued that these polls had been “not a barometer of the federal government’s recognition.”
The panchayat ballot outcomes have additionally reignited discuss of a doable alliance between the Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Occasion.
AAP termed the outcome a “big victory” forward of the 2027 meeting polls and stated it confirmed “lack of anti-incumbent stance” within the state regardless of being in energy for practically 4 years.
Sukhbir Badal’s SAD, which is aiming for a comeback after lengthy being tormented by factionalism and infighting, claimed the outcomes confirmed the occasion was “inching nearer to victory within the 2027 meeting polls”.
A complete of 347 zilla parishads and a couple of,838 panchayat samites within the state went to polling stations with their poll papers on December 14 and counting of votes started from Wednesday.
The ultimate ballot outcomes launched on Thursday confirmed AAP gained 218 zilla parishads, whereas Congress and SAD gained 62 and 46 respectively. The occasion gained solely seven whereas the BJP gained three. Ten impartial members additionally gained within the district panchayat polls. The outcomes of 346 zilla parishads had been declared with none election held in Qadur Sahib and nominations submitted by all candidates had been declared invalid.
AAP additionally gained 1,531 panchayats or block samitis, whereas Congress and SAD gained 612 and 445 respectively. The BJP gained 73 panchayat samitis, whereas the BSP and Independents gained 28 and 144 respectively.
AAP
Congratulating the occasion on its victory, AAP nationwide convener Arvind Kriwal stated, “The outcomes present that AAP has swept the polls by profitable virtually 70 per cent of the zilla parishads and block samites. This exhibits that there’s a wave of help for AAP and the folks help the initiatives of the Bhagwant Mann authorities. That is completely different from 2013 and 2018 when municipal polls had been held proper after the meeting.” The ballot, this time taken 4 years after we got here to energy. ”
Nevertheless, a number of AAP candidates misplaced within the strongholds of some occasion leaders. In village Sandwan, chaired by Kurtal Singh Sandwan, SAD defeated AAP by a margin of 171 votes.
In Sangur, CM Mann’s stronghold, the AAP candidate misplaced to the SAD within the Block Samiti polls in Gurmeet Singh Meet Khayer’s village, whereas the occasion misplaced to the Congress in Balaji, the house village of AAP MLA Narinder Kaur Balaji.
assembly
The Congress, which got here second, alleged “misuse of equipment” by the AAP. “AAP can declare victory, however deep down we all know that these polls imply nothing. Within the polls, the ruling occasion wins… And it’s essential to have seen what occurred earlier than the elections. Opposition candidates weren’t allowed to file their nominations. There are numerous locations the place there’s a distinction of 5 to 100 votes,” stated Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Waring.
Senior Congress chief and Chief of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa additionally condemned AAP’s “tyranny” and accused the Mann authorities of “decreasing grassroots democracy to a deeply flawed and demoralizing motion”.
Akali Dal
SAD could also be heartened by its resurgence in the important thing Malwa area, as soon as seen as its stronghold, three years after its disastrous efficiency within the 2022 parliamentary polls that diminished the occasion to simply three seats.
The SAD gained in 13 out of 17 zilla parishads in Bathinda, seven out of 13 in Muktsar, 4 out of 11 in Mansa and half out of 10 in Faridkot.
“In Faridkot, we misplaced one zilla parishad seat by a slender margin of 141 votes. In any other case we might have gained six zilla parishads. Although we’re an opposition occasion, we are able to set up zilla parishad chairs in three districts – Faridkot, Bathinda and Mukster,” stated senior SAD official Parambans Bunty Romana, including that profitable even a couple of seats can be a “loud and clear” outcome. message.
SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema stated the occasion’s efficiency was as a result of its “means to gauge the temper of voters”. “We gained regardless of the federal government’s strain. All of us noticed how democracy was sacrificed within the elections. There have been additionally invisible pressures. Sarpanches had been warned that they’d face scrutiny if their villages voted for the opposition. The truth on the bottom is completely different from what’s seen,” he added.
B.B.T.
The outcomes had been combined for the Bharatiya Janata Occasion, which noticed its numbers enhance from two to seven within the Zilla Parishad and from 63 to 73 within the Block Samitis.
Though the BJP underperformed in different areas, it carried out properly in a few of its conventional strongholds.
In Pathankot, the stronghold of Bharatiya Janata Occasion working president Ashwani Kumar, the occasion gained 4 of the ten zilla parishads and 20 of the 60 block samitis. The occasion additionally made some beneficial properties in Faridkot and Tarun Taran, profitable one block of Samiti seats every.
In Patiala, the hometown of former CM Captain Amarinder Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Occasion fared poorly, profitable solely one of many 184 block samiti seats and failing to win any of the 23 zilla parishad seats.
“This outcome exhibits that Mr. Amarinder was proper when he steered that the SAD is critical for the central financial institution to kind a secure authorities in 2027. Many within the central financial institution didn’t like his remarks, however the outcomes communicate for themselves. Because the occasion seeks to develop, its stronghold is weakening,” stated a senior central financial institution official.
Romana, nonetheless, denied speculations a few doable alliance between the SAD and the BJP. “We’re specializing in our strengths and weaknesses. We aren’t fascinated with the alliance as we now have bounced again within the 27 parliamentary constituencies in Malwa area,” he stated.
State occasion normal secretary Anil Sarin, whereas admitting that the numbers weren’t within the Bharatiya Janata Occasion’s favor, stated the occasion was glad that it had been in a position to “attain out to each village within the state”. “We’re specializing in all 117 seats in Parliament for the 2027 polls,” he added.
