The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab secured a commanding lead as results for the state's zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections poured in on Wednesday evening. The party claimed victory in a majority of the zones, marking a significant turnaround from its 2018 performance and setting the stage for the 2027 assembly elections.
Decisive Mandate for AAP in Rural Heartland
Polling for the 347 zones across 22 zila parishads and 2,838 zones under 153 panchayat samitis was held on December 14. The counting of ballot papers took place at 154 centres statewide. By Wednesday evening, AAP was leading in 68 zila parishad zones, leaving its closest rival, the Congress, far behind with just 13. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was ahead in three zones, the BJP in one, and others in two.
The trend was even more pronounced in the panchayat samiti results, where AAP surged ahead in 1,033 zones. Congress followed with 273, SAD with 176, BJP with 27, and independent candidates and others in 67 zones. Officials noted that counting was still ongoing and the final tally was not yet available.
Political Reactions and Allegations
The high-stakes rural polls, viewed as a critical barometer for the February 2027 assembly elections, were preceded by sharp political exchanges. Congress MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi alleged the AAP government had printed extra, pre-marked ballot papers to rig the outcome. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann dismissed these claims as "irresponsible," suggesting the opposition had conceded defeat.
Celebrating the results, AAP state president Aman Arora told mediapersons, "Nearly 85% of the declared zila parishad results have gone in favour of AAP, which clearly reflects the people's confidence in our policies and leadership." He described the mandate as a resounding endorsement of the AAP government's people-centric governance over the past four years.
Constituency-Wise Performance and Key Takeaways
The results highlighted AAP's deepening penetration in rural Punjab. In Sangrur block, AAP won seven of 15 zones, with two more unopposed. The party dominated Chajjli, winning 15 of 19 zones, and Sherpur, securing nine zones. In Dirba, AAP swept the two zila parishad zones and won 15 of 18 panchayat samiti zones.
In Ludhiana, AAP emerged as the clear leader in both tiers of local governance. For the panchayat samitis here, AAP led with 72 seats, Congress had 53, SAD 40, and BJP lagged with only three. AAP candidates registered strong leads in key zones like Lalheri, Bija, Mutton, and Khirnian. In the Mutton zone, AAP's Jagroop Singh won by a margin of nearly 1,400 votes, while Barinder Deep Kaur secured Khirnian with a massive lead exceeding 2,100 votes.
The election marked a lacklustre debut for the BJP, which contested independently after ending its long-standing alliance with the SAD. The party failed to make a significant impact. Meanwhile, the SAD claimed many of its losses were by narrow margins, indicating a partial revival in select pockets like Neelon Kalan and Chak Sarwan Nath. Independent candidates also performed notably in several areas, such as Sultanpur Lodhi, where they won eight zones.
This outcome represents a dramatic shift from the 2018 rural polls, where AAP failed to win a single Zila Parishad seat. The decisive lead positions AAP strongly as it heads toward the larger electoral battle in 2027.
