Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party won the municipal elections in Patiala and was ahead in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, while the Congress was ahead in Phagwara and Amritsar.
Elections to five Municipal Corporations and 44 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats in Punjab — Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Amritsar and Phagwara — were held on Saturday (December 21, 2024).
In Patiala, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won 43 out of 53 wards and is preparing to elect the mayor. According to the results announced on Saturday night, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won four wards each, while Shiromani Akali Dal won two wards.
AAP was also ahead in Ludhiana, where it won 42 out of 95 wards. According to the results, Congress has won in 29 wards, while BJP has won in 19, independents in 3 and SAD in 2.
AAP was also ahead in Jalandhar, winning 39 out of 85 wards, with Congress and BJP winning 24 and 19 wards respectively.
However, Congress was ahead in Amritsar and Phagwara. In Amritsar, Congress won 40 wards, AAP 28 and BJP 10 out of a total of 85 wards.
In Phagwada, in the municipality of 50 wards, no political party could touch the number 26, while Congress became the largest party by winning 22 wards. Aam Aadmi Party won 12 wards, BJP won 4 and SAD won 3. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won three wards.
Punjab AAP president Aman Arora claimed his party had created history in the local body elections, securing more than 50 per cent of the 977 wards that went to polls.
“This resounding victory is a testament to AAP’s commitment to pro-people governance and transparent politics,” Mr Arora said in a statement.
He also congratulated Aam Aadmi Party National Coordinator Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the winning candidates for the election results.
“Heartiest congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal ji, Bhagwant Maan ji, and all the winning candidates of Punjab AAP for their resounding victory in the municipal elections. I thank all our workers from the bottom of my heart for their tireless efforts. I hope all elected councilors remain dedicated to public service. And development, He said.
“We have done exceptionally well in Patiala and Jalandhar, while the results in smaller corporations like Phagwara were not entirely in our favour.
“The Akali Dal and the BJP have been completely destroyed. The illusion of BJP dominance in urban areas has been shattered, people have shown them a mirror,” Mr Arora said.
The polling, which started at 7 am on Saturday, continued till 4 pm amid tight security. An average of 55 percent voting was recorded till 3 pm.
More than 3,300 candidates were in the field for the local level elections and a total of 3,809 polling stations were built.
A total of 37 lakh 32 thousand voters, including 17 lakh 75 thousand women, were eligible to vote in the elections held using electronic voting machines (EVM).
Political leaders who exercised their franchise included BJP’s Tarun Chugh, Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, Ludhiana MLA Ashok Prashar and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh.
Opposition parties BJP and SAD alleged that fake votes were cast at the behest of AAP in several places in Patiala, a charge denied by the ruling party.
There were also reports of clashes and heated exchanges between AAP and BJP supporters in Patiala.
Sushil Nayyar, the BJP candidate from Ward No. 34 of Patiala, has threatened to self-immolate, accusing him of casting fake votes in the polling station.
BJP leader Jai Inder Kaur alleged that some outsiders were roaming in Patiala and demanded police action against them.
After Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Patiala Nanak Singh reached the spot, Kaur and BJP supporters were seen arguing with the officer and claimed that some people were allowed to enter the polling station without proper authentication and were casting fake votes.
“No one stopped them. And who is responsible for this,” asked a BJP supporter.
“Voting is being videographed,” replied the SSP.
Earlier, Kaur, who is the daughter of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, alleged that AAP MLAs Chetan Singh Jauramazra and Gurlal Ghanoor were outsiders from Ward No. 40, yet they were present in the area.
The party has also filed a complaint with the State Election Commission against Jouramazra and Guralal and has demanded that an FIR be registered against them for violating the code of conduct.
The BJP also claimed that some miscreants targeted the party candidate from Ward No. 40 on the orders of Apa.
SAD also claimed that its booth in Ward No. 15 of Patiala was vandalized.
The BJP has also demanded registration of an FIR against AAP MLA Gary Waring’s brother Mani Waring and AAP supporters for alleged bogus voting in Amlohma Ward No. 9 in Fatehgarh Sahib.
published – December 22, 2024 at 02:11 pm IST