AAP Wins 48% Wards in Civic Polls

June

2026

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 958 of 1,977 (48%) municipal wards across the state in Panjab’s civic body polls. Indian National Congress (INC) won 397, Independents 251, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) 192, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 172, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 7. AAP won five municipal corporations, INC won Kapurthala and the BJP won Abohar, while emerging as the single-largest party in Pathankot. In 75 municipal councils, AAP won 40, INC 18, SAD 10, BJP 4 and others 3. In 20 municipal committees, AAP won 10, SAD 5, Independents 4, and INC 1. In 80 wards there was no contest. Their results are included in the final tally. The Panjab State Election Commission said voter turnout in municipal corporations was 59.91%, in municipal councils 65.06%, and in municipal committees 76.18%. Though civic body elections in Panjab have traditionally gone in favor of the ruling party, the Opposition said the scale of the AAP’s victory could not be viewed separately from the circumstances in which the polls were held. From the nomination stage itself, Opposition parties alleged their candidates were prevented from filing papers in several places or faced pressure to withdraw. Voting day on 26 May too witnessed clashes and sporadic violence. The results show that about seven months before Assembly elections in 2027, there is no anti-incumbency wave against the ruling AAP government. Though Independents are the third largest winners, they often belong to political parties and contest because they do not get the party ticket. In a first, transgender candidates Komal Mahant and Mahi Mahant from SAD and AAP respectively won their maiden elections from Ward No. 18 Patiala municipal corporation and Ward No. 20 Sunam municipal council, Sangrur district. However, in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, advocate Ranjivan Singh questioned the secrecy of the voting process. As a voter from Ward No. 15, he claimed that the serial number printed on his ballot paper matched the number recorded against his name on the counterfoil. Ranjivan alleged, 'If the ballot paper serial number is connected to a voter’s details through official records, it becomes possible to trace an individual’s vote. This defeats the very purpose of secret balloting and raises serious concerns about voter privacy' (earlier coverage).