The counting of votes for elections in five municipal corporations and 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Punjab began on Saturday. Polling, conducted under tight security, started at 7 a.m. and concluded at 4 p.m., with an average voter turnout of 55% recorded by 3 p.m.
The municipal corporations in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Phagwara witnessed polling with over 3,300 candidates contesting across 3,809 polling booths. A total of 37.32 lakh voters, including 17.75 lakh women, were eligible to vote, with electronic voting machines (EVMs) facilitating the process.
The elections were marred by allegations of malpractice. The BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of orchestrating fake voting in Patiala, allegations denied by the ruling party. Heated exchanges and scuffles between AAP and BJP supporters were reported in the city.
Prominent political leaders who cast their votes included BJP’s Tarun Chugh, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Ludhiana MLA Ashok Prashar, and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh.
BJP leader Jai Inder Kaur alleged that outsiders were present in Patiala and demanded police intervention. In a dramatic turn, BJP candidate Sushil Nayyar from Ward No. 34 threatened self-immolation, claiming fake votes were being cast. The situation escalated when Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh arrived at the scene and faced accusations from BJP supporters that polling booths were being accessed without proper verification.
Kaur, daughter of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, accused AAP MLAs Chetan Singh Jauramajra and Gurlal Ghanaur of violating the model code of conduct by being present in Ward No. 40 as outsiders. Complaints were lodged with the state election commission, and the BJP demanded FIRs against the MLAs for alleged misconduct.
Meanwhile, the BJP accused AAP supporters of targeting its nominee in Ward No. 40 and claimed that AAP-backed miscreants were involved in bogus voting in Ward No. 9 at Amloh in Fatehgarh Sahib. SAD also reported vandalism at its booth in Ward No. 15 in Patiala.
For AAP, these civic elections are seen as a critical test of its urban voter support following its success in three of four Assembly bypolls in November. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann campaigned actively for AAP candidates, while newly appointed Punjab unit chief Aman Arora participated in campaigns and made promises to the electorate.
The Congress, which currently holds a majority in the municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Patiala, also faces high stakes as it aims to retain its influence in urban Punjab.
With inputs from PTI