Election Updates – Punjab Civic Polling Begins Across 103 Urban Bodies
Election Updates – Voting began early Tuesday morning for elections to 103 municipal bodies across Punjab, with residents turning out at polling stations to choose their local representatives. The polling process started at 8 am and will continue until 5 pm, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 29.
Voting Underway in Major Municipal Corporations
The elections are being conducted in 1,896 wards spread across eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats. The municipal corporations going to polls include Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala and Pathankot.
Officials overseeing the electoral process stated that elaborate security and administrative arrangements have been put in place to ensure peaceful voting. Election authorities are using ballot papers for polling after the Supreme Court recently dismissed a petition challenging the decision to hold the civic elections through paper ballots.
Thousands of Candidates Contesting Civic Elections
A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting the local body elections, making it one of the largest civic electoral exercises in the state in recent years. Political analysts are closely watching the results as they are expected to influence the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Among the major parties, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has fielded the highest number of candidates with 1,801 nominees. The Congress follows with 1,550 candidates, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has entered 1,316 candidates. Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded 1,251 contestants and the Bahujan Samaj Party has 96 nominees in the race.
Apart from party-backed candidates, 1,528 Independent candidates are also contesting across various wards.
Distribution of Seats Across Local Bodies
Election officials said that 1,613 candidates are contesting in 396 wards of the eight municipal corporations. In the municipal councils, 5,142 candidates are competing across 1,282 wards. Meanwhile, 800 candidates are in the fray for 218 wards in the Nagar Panchayats.
More than 35 lakh registered voters are eligible to participate in the elections. The voter list includes over 17 lakh women voters along with hundreds of voters registered under other gender categories.
Security Tightened at Sensitive Polling Stations
Authorities have identified 740 polling booths as sensitive and 275 as hyper-sensitive. To maintain order and ensure smooth polling, around 35,000 election staff and nearly 32,000 police personnel have been deployed throughout the state.
Security arrangements have been strengthened particularly in areas considered vulnerable to disturbances. Officials said police teams are continuously monitoring polling stations and surrounding locations to prevent any untoward incidents during voting hours.
Political Leaders Cast Votes and Appeal for Participation
Long queues of voters were seen outside several polling booths during the morning hours as residents arrived early to cast their ballots.
Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma voted at a polling station in Pathankot, while AAP MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi exercised his franchise in Batala.
Punjab ministers Aman Arora and Harjot Singh Bains also appealed to people to actively participate in the democratic process by casting their votes.
State Declares Public Holiday for Elections
To encourage voter participation, the Punjab government declared May 26 as a public holiday across the state. Government offices, educational institutions, boards and corporations remained closed for the day.
The holiday notification also applies to Punjab government offices and institutions located in Chandigarh.
The civic elections are considered politically significant for all major parties, including AAP, BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, as the outcome may shape political strategies and public perception before the next Assembly elections in Punjab.