AAP emerges frontrunner in Ludhiana rural body polls

Polling for 25 Zila Parishad seats and 235 Block Samiti seats was held across Ludhiana district on December 14

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged as the frontrunner in both the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections in Ludhiana as counting trends began to take shape on Tuesday.

AAP candidate Harpreet Kaur Grewal (in green suit) from Bholapur village along with party supporters showing the victory sign after registering a win in the rural body polls in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

According to the latest trends, AAP was leading in 11 of the 25 Zila Parishad seats, holding a narrow edge over the Congress, which was ahead in eight seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was leading in three seats, while Independent candidates were ahead in three others.

In the Block Samiti elections, AAP also maintained an early lead. While counting was still underway, the party was leading in 79 seats, followed by the Congress with leads in 67 seats and SAD in 42 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ahead in two seats, while Independent candidates were leading in 28 seats.

Polling for 25 Zila Parishad seats and 235 Block Samiti seats was held across Ludhiana district on December 14.

Meanwhile, in Khanna, members of the Shiromani Akali Dal staged a brief protest, alleging irregularities in the counting process. SAD workers blocked traffic for about 10 minutes before being pacified by officials, who assured them that counting was being conducted in a transparent manner. The protest was subsequently called off.