AAP tops rural polls in Punjab amid drama
Vote counting for Punjab’s Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections unfolded on Wednesday amid tense scenes, protests, and high political drama, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerging as the single largest force across rural local bodies while also confronting visible pockets of resistance in politically sensitive villages. As results trickled in from 154 counting centres spread across 141 locations, the outcome offered an early but telling snapshot of rural sentiment nearly 14 months ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
AAP wrested control of 28 Zila Parishads and secured around 620 Panchayat Samiti seats, consolidating its organisational footprint in the countryside where more than 9,000 candidates were in the fray for 347 Zila Parishad and 2,838 Panchayat Samiti seats. The counting process stretched late into the night due to ballot-paper voting, keeping party offices on edge as margins narrowed and widened with every round.
The rural polls, contested strictly on party symbols, were widely seen as a semi-final before the Assembly elections. Every major party treated the contest as a test of cadre strength, booth management, and voter loyalty in villages that often dictate Punjab’s broader political mood. The charged atmosphere was reflected not just in the intensity of campaigning but also in the scenes witnessed during counting day.
The ruling AAP hailed the outcome as a sweeping endorsement of its governance, while the Congress and the BJP alleged large-scale misuse of power. AAP Punjab unit president Aman Arora described the results as a “one-sided mandate” reflecting public trust in the Bhagwant Mann Government’s four-year performance, citing the party’s dominant lead across most declared zones and blocks.
The State Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, however, said that it was “satisfied” with its showing despite what it termed a hostile electoral environment, accusing the ruling party of intimidation, administrative bias and manipulation of the process.
