AAP wave sweeps Punjab as party wins 50 percent seats in Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad polls
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has registered a major victory in the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections in Punjab, emerging as the single largest party by winning around 50 percent of the seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also shown a strong comeback, gaining momentum after a series of electoral setbacks. Counting of votes is still underway and the final results are expected to become clear by Thursday afternoon.
The Congress put up a competitive fight against AAP, while the Akali Dal performed better compared to recent elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, failed to make a significant impact this time as well. Several senior leaders from different parties also lost seats in their respective strongholds.
Vote counting began on Wednesday at 154 counting centres for 2,838 Panchayat Samiti seats and 347 Zila Parishad zones across the state. As early trends showed a clear majority, AAP supporters began celebrating the victory. By 10 pm, out of 2,838 Panchayat Samiti seats, AAP had won 1,033 seats, Congress 273, SAD 176, BJP 27, and others 67 seats. In the Zila Parishad results, out of 347 seats, AAP won 68, Congress 13, SAD 2, BJP 1, and others 2 seats.
In Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s ancestral village Satoj, AAP candidate Harvinder Pal Rishi won from the Dharamgarh zone in the Block Samiti elections. However, in Sangrur, AAP suffered a setback as its Zila Parishad candidate lost from Bharaj, the native village of AAP MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj. Meanwhile, in Ubhawal, the ancestral village of former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, SAD-backed independent candidate Shinderpal Singh secured victory. In the village of Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, the AAP candidate also faced defeat.
A total of 8,098 candidates contested the Panchayat Samiti elections, while 1,249 candidates were in the fray for the Zila Parishad polls. During the counting process, opposition parties accused AAP of using force and unfair practices at several places. The Akali Dal alleged that its winning candidates were deliberately defeated through conspiracy, while AAP also demanded re-counting in some constituencies where it lost narrowly.