The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP coalition on Tuesday swept the zila parishad and block samiti elections in the Majha and Malwa belts of Punjab but faced resistance from the opposition Congress at the block level in Doaba.
The Congress stood routed in Majha, comprising Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Pathankot, and Malwa, including the southern districts of Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa, Patiala, Sangrur, Faridkot, Fazilka and Ferozepur, where the opposition party could not gain control of even a single block samiti.
The SAD and the BJP credited their win to their development poll plank.
Shiromani Akali Dal supporters celebrating the party’s victory in the zila parishad abd block samiti elections in Amritsar on Tuesday. Photo: Munish Byala/HT
In Doaba, the ruling combine faced resistance from the Congress in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahar districts.
The People's Party of Punjab (PPP) made its dotted presence in Fatehgarh Sahib and Hoshiarpur districts, where it had entered into an electoral adjustment with the Congress. The PPP won the Khamano block samiti in Fatehgarh Sahib.
In Ludhiana, 10 of the total 25 zones of the zila parishad were wrested by the SAD-BJP, while two went to the Congress till the time of filing this report on Tuesday night.
{{/usCountry}}In Ludhiana, 10 of the total 25 zones of the zila parishad were wrested by the SAD-BJP, while two went to the Congress till the time of filing this report on Tuesday night.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab's rural voters had exercised their franchise for the zila parishad and block samitis on May 19 after a high-voltage campaign that saw clashes, resulting in four deaths.
The SAD-BJP coalition was tied in a straight contest with the Congress for the 22 zila parishad and 146 panchayat samitis.
*Results till midnight