Elections – Punjab Civic Polls Witness High Voter Turnout Amid Security
Elections – Polling began across Punjab on Tuesday for elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils, and nagar panchayats, with voters arriving at polling booths early in the morning amid extensive security arrangements.
Voting Begins Across Urban Punjab
The civic elections are being viewed as an important political exercise ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections expected in 2027. Polling was conducted for 1,896 wards spread across eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils, and 20 nagar panchayats. Voting commenced at 8 a.m. and continued until 5 p.m.
According to election officials, there were no reports of delays or disruptions during the initial phase of voting. Across several districts, residents gathered outside polling stations before the voting process officially started, reflecting strong public participation in the local body elections.
More than 35 lakh eligible voters were expected to cast their ballots during the day. Official figures showed that the electorate included over 18.33 lakh men, around 17.11 lakh women, and 220 voters registered under the “other” category.
Heavy Security Deployment Across Polling Centres
The Punjab State Election Commission made elaborate arrangements to ensure peaceful polling. Around 32,000 police personnel and nearly 35,000 election officials were deployed throughout the state to supervise the voting process and maintain law and order.
The municipal corporations where polling took place included Abohar, Mohali, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Batala, Kapurthala, and Pathankot. Authorities maintained heightened vigilance in sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents during voting hours.
A total of 7,555 candidates contested the elections. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party fielded 1,801 candidates, while the Congress nominated 1,550 candidates. The Bharatiya Janata Party entered 1,316 candidates in the fray, while the Shiromani Akali Dal contested with 1,251 nominees. Apart from these major parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party fielded 96 candidates, and more than 1,500 Independents also contested.
Courts Reject Pleas Over Ballot Paper System
The municipal elections were also marked by legal challenges regarding the voting method adopted by the Election Commission. A petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court had opposed the decision to replace Electronic Voting Machines with ballot papers.
However, the High Court dismissed the plea, observing that the election process had already progressed substantially and that judicial interference at that stage would not be appropriate. The court noted that candidate withdrawals had already concluded and polling preparations were nearly complete.
Later, the matter reached the Supreme Court, where the petitioner again sought the use of EVMs instead of ballot papers. The apex court also declined to intervene, stating that all arrangements for polling had already been finalized and changing the system at the last moment was impractical.
Political Parties Intensify Campaign Efforts
In the run-up to the elections, political parties campaigned aggressively across urban and semi-urban areas. While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stayed away from direct campaigning, several ministers, MPs, and MLAs from the ruling AAP actively participated in election activities to support party candidates.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar accused the ruling party of attempting to influence the electoral process through pressure tactics. He alleged that statements made by certain leaders regarding booth management reflected political nervousness ahead of the results.
Despite these allegations, polling largely remained peaceful during the day, with election authorities closely monitoring all sensitive booths.
BJP Claims Expansion in Punjab Politics
The BJP has projected the ongoing civic elections as a sign of its growing political influence in Punjab. Senior party leaders stated that the party’s organisational reach had expanded significantly compared to the local body elections held in 2021.
According to BJP leaders, the party struggled to field candidates during the previous civic polls amid widespread protests in the state. In contrast, the current elections reportedly witnessed strong interest from aspiring candidates seeking BJP tickets.
The BJP fielded more than 1,200 candidates for municipal councils and nagar panchayats, along with 367 candidates for municipal corporation elections. Party leaders claimed that support for the BJP was gradually increasing beyond urban centres and extending into rural regions as well.
Political analysts believe the outcome of these civic polls could offer an early indication of changing political equations in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.