AAP Sweeps Zila Parishad Polls, Leads Panchayat Samiti Elections in Punjab

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a sweeping victory in the zila parishad elections and was leading in most panchayat samiti zones in Punjab, according to results declared till Thursday.

Officials said the counting process was still under way, with the complete results yet to be announced as ballot papers continued to be tallied.

Polling took place on December 14 to elect representatives for 347 zones across 22 zila parishads and 2,838 zones in 153 panchayat samitis.

So far, results have been declared for 317 zila parishad zones, of which the AAP secured wins in 201. The Congress emerged second with 60 zones, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 39. The BJP won four zones, the BSP three, while Independents claimed 10 zones.

Of the 201 zones won by the AAP, the party secured 22 in Hoshiarpur, 19 each in Amritsar and Patiala, 17 each in Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur, and 15 in Sangrur.

The Congress won eight zones each in Gurdaspur and Ludhiana, seven in Jalandhar, and six each in Ferozepur and SBS Nagar. The SAD performed strongly in Bathinda with 13 wins, followed by five in Faridkot and four each in Amritsar and Mansa.

The BJP managed to secure four zila parishad zones in Pathankot.

In the panchayat samiti elections as well, the AAP was leading in the majority of zones, based on results declared so far.

Reacting to the outcome, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said the party’s strong performance reflected rural voters’ endorsement of the Bhagwant Mann government’s work in Punjab.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal dismissed opposition allegations of "high-handedness" during the polls, asserting that the elections were conducted in a fair and free manner.

Speaking to the media in Mohali, Kejriwal said the results indicated a clear wave in favour of the AAP across rural Punjab.

"Almost 70 per cent seats in zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls have been won by AAP," he said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring accused the AAP government of rigging the polls.

"STOLEN GLORY @AAPPunjab may bask in STOLEN GLORY of 'sweeping' the rural mandate, but it knows pretty well where it stands.

"We know it. They know it. People of Punjab know it. They have NOT swept the elections, they have STOLEN these," Warring alleged in a post on X.

Earlier, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal had accused the ruling AAP of high-handedness and misuse of official machinery against opposition candidates during the elections.

(with PTI inputs)