The Aam Aadmi Party registered a decisive win in the civic bolls in Punjab on Friday, winning more than 48 per cent of the municipal wards and over 900 seats. AAP was followed by the Congress, which remained far behind at the second position with over 300 wards in its bag.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, finished a distant fifth in the elections, behind the Independents and Shiromani Akali Dal. Following the resounding victory, AAP workers celebrated at party officers across the state, with workers dancing the beat of the ‘dhol’ and distributing sweets.
Check full list of winners in Punjab civic elections
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal thanked the people of the state for the votes in support of the party, while also taking a veiled jibe at the BJP, which he termed as the “ED party.” “The ED party has been wiped out. The ED party, which harassed people by conducting so many raids on small traders in Punjab, has today been avenged by the people,” Kejriwal said.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, too, hailed the party's victory, saying the “politics of hatred” had been defeated.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, too, hailed the party's victory, saying the “politics of hatred” had been defeated.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | BJP candidates lose deposits in Punjab civic polls as AAP expands urban dominance
Party-wise results
A total of 1,977 wards voted in the civic polls. Here are the party-wise results for the Punjab civic polls as of 11 pm.
AAP - 957
INC - 397
IND - 251
SAD - 191
BJP - 167
BSP - 7
According to the Punjab State Election Commission, the AAP won 957 of the total 1,977 wards, with the Congress at second spot with 397. Independents occupied the third position by winning 251 wards, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal with 191 wards, and the BJP with 167 wards. The Bahujan Samaj Party won seven wards.
Elections to the 102 municipal bodies, comprising 1,897 wards across eight municipal corporations of Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala and Pathankot along with 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats were held on May 26. Candidates in 80 wards were elected unopposed. The final results for the eight municipal corporations are yet to be declared.
Pathankot breakthrough, Mohali dominance
In Sangrur district, across four municipalities (Sunam, Dhuri, Bhawanigarh, and Longowal) comprising 74 wards, the AAP recorded unassailable leads, according to an earlier HT report. In Pathankot, which was a BJP stronghold, the party won 23 of the 50 wards, followed by the Congress at 12 and the BJP at eight.
In the Mohali Municipal Corporation, AAP established outright dominance by securing more than 20 of the 35 seats in the 50-ward civic House. Among the prominent winners wereWard No. 6 candidate Sunny Singh Ahluwalia and Ward No. 42 candidate Sarabjeet Singh Samana.