Chandigarh: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab swept the municipal elections in the state with its candidates winning 958 of the total 1,977 wards the results of which were declared Friday. Polling for 1,897 wards was held on 26 May while candidates to 80 wards had been declared elected unopposed.
The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) came in a distant second and third with their candidates winning in 397 and 192 wards, respectively.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in 172 wards, its tally lower than the 251 wards won by Independents; while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) managed to win only seven wards.
More than 22.38 lakh voters, constituting almost 64 percent of the electorate, cast their votes to elect representatives for 8 municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 19 Nagar Panchayats. A total of 7,555 candidates had contested these elections which were being seen as a vital electoral test before the Punjab Assembly polls due in early 2027.
Even as opposition parties cried foul, accusing the AAP of misusing official machinery to win the elections, the ruling party claimed Friday’s results indicated the mood, and that it is still the dominant political force in Punjab despite four years in government.
The Congress won a clear majority in Kapurthala and the BJP in Abohar, where AAP came in second. In Pathankot, the BJP’s traditional stronghold, it won the highest number of wards but not enough to form a majority; the Congress was second in this ward. The Akalis failed to secure a majority in any of the civic bodies.
The AAP has also won a majority of the municipal councils and nagar panchayats which are local urban bodies of medium-sized and small towns, retaining its grip over the very segment that has become its political backbone since the 2022 Assembly elections.
The results indicate that AAP’s appeal among lower- and middle-income urban voters remains largely intact.
Addressing a press conference here following the results Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the people of Punjab had once again voted for their own government. “Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha, panchayat elections and now municipal elections…the Aam Aadmi Party has won in a big way. If the number of votes of the opposition parties including Congress Akalis and the BJP are added even then they will not equal the votes that AAP has got.
“This is the victory of the policies of the government including giving free power, aam Aadmi clinics, good schools and transparency in recruitments…I congratulate the winners and the volunteers of the party. There will be no bias towards any part of Punjab. Every city, town and village of Punjab will progress equally,” wrote Mann on X.
ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਵਾਰ ਫਿਰ ‘ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ’ ਦੇ ਕੰਮਾਂ ‘ਤੇ ਮੋਹਰ ਲਗਾਈ ਹੈ..
ਵਿਧਾਨ ਸਭਾ, ਲੋਕ ਸਭਾ, ਪੰਚਾਇਤੀ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਹੁਣ ਨਗਰ ਨਿਗਮ ਅਤੇ ਨਗਰ ਪੰਚਾਇਤਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਨੇ ਵੱਡੀ ਜਿੱਤ ਦਰਜ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ। 90% ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਨਗਰ ਕੌਂਸਲਾਂ ‘ਤੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਉਮੀਦਵਾਰ ਜਿੱਤੇ ਹਨ।
ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਪਾਰਟੀਆਂ (ਕਾਂਗਰਸ, ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ… pic.twitter.com/WesUlorLDM
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) May 29, 2026
If Friday’s results are anything to go by, the AAP has managed to overcome whatever anti-incumbency was visible in parts of the state. To add to that, in many places that were once considered Congress or Akali strongholds, the ruling party either won comfortably or emerged as the principal force.
Among the five municipal corporations where AAP won, it was a difficult victory in SAS Nagar, where it won 27 of the 50 wards. The Congress won 12, the Akalis 4, BJP 3, and Independents the remaining 4.
The most remarkable victories for the AAP came in the form of a sweep in the councils in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Dhuri, Malerkotla, Gidderbaha, Sunam, Kotkapura, Gobindgarh, Khanna, Jandiala Guru, Raman, Jaitu, Dasuya, and Kot Isse Khan. It emerged as the dominant party in districts SAS Nagar, Sangrur, Roopnagar, Patiala, Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib.
What worked in AAP’s favour
Several factors appear to have worked in AAP’s favour. The first, is the government’s sustained focus on the anti-drug campaign. Punjab’s drug problem remains one of the most politically sensitive issues in the state, and the government has made its anti-narcotics drive a central political theme. Whether critics believe the problem has been solved is a separate question, but politically, AAP has succeeded in convincing a substantial section of voters that it is at least attempting to tackle an issue that previous governments failed to address.
Second, is the emphasis on welfare delivery.
The government’s Rs 10 lakh free health insurance initiative and announcements regarding expanded healthcare coverage have resonated among economically vulnerable sections.
Equally important has been the repeated assurance that all its election promises have been fulfilled, including the long-discussed financial assistance scheme for women. Even where implementation remains a work in progress, the perception that the government is moving towards fulfilling its commitments appears to have benefited AAP politically.
The opposition, by contrast, failed to create a compelling competing narrative.
The Congress remains trapped in a cycle of factionalism and organisational dysfunction. Despite being the principal opposition party in Punjab, it has struggled to convert public dissatisfaction on local issues into a coherent political movement. Internal rivalries continue to overshadow attempts at rebuilding the party. These municipal results suggest that Congress has retained pockets of support but has not expanded beyond them.
Its most remarkable performance was in Kapurthala where it won 31 of the 50 wards in the municipal corporation. It also won 18 wards in the Pathankot Corporation and another 14 in the Batala Municipal Corporation. In the Mohali municipal corporation it won 13 wards and in Bathinda it won 5. Each of these corporations has a strength of 50.
Among the municipal councils the Congress performed well at are Fazilka, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Rajpura, Jagraon, Raikot, Malerkotla, Mehtapur, Morinda, Chamkaur Sahib, Nangal, Bhawanigarh, Fatehgarh Churian, Maur, Zira, and Malout. State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring wrote on X that Congress workers had put up a brave fight against the ruling party which had “abused power and misused official machinery”.
“It was their stated policy of ‘saam, daam, dand, bhed’ that was nakedly displayed during the municipal elections across Punjab. I reaffirm and reiterate that the AAP will not win even ten seats in 2027. The AAP may celebrate the “stolen glory” of municipal elections but the celebrations will prove quite short-lived with an expiry date of February 2027,” he added.
I congratulate the @INCPunjab workers for their courage in putting up a brave fight against the ruling @AAPPunjab , which abused power and misused official machinery during the municipal elections across Punjab.
It was their stated policy of ‘saam, daam, dand, bed’ that was…
— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) May 29, 2026
A distant second-place finish in an election that should have offered an opportunity to capitalise on anti-incumbency is hardly an encouraging sign.
The BJP’s performance is perhaps even more disappointing. Since its split with the Akali Dal in 2020, the party has repeatedly projected confidence about emerging as a standalone force in Punjab. Much of that confidence rested on the assumption that urban Punjab was becoming increasingly receptive to the BJP. These results challenge that assumption. If urban local body elections were meant to be the BJP’s launchpad towards becoming a serious contender for power on its own, the verdict suggests that the project remains far from complete. The party continues to lack the organisational depth and local leadership network required to convert national visibility into state-level electoral success.
The BJP has gained 28 of 50 wards in Abohar Municipal Corporation and another 11 of 25 in Fazilka. Fazilka is the home ground of former BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar who was replaced by political lightweight Kewal Singh Dhillon Thursday. In Dhillon’s stronghold of Barnala the party managed to win 8 wards in the municipal corporation.
The BJP tried retaining its hold on it’s traditional stronghold of Pathankot. It won 20 of the 50 wards here. Despite it being BJP MLA Ashwani Kumar Sharma’s assembly segment, it could not win many wards in the Sujanpur Municipal Council, a key party stronghold.
The BJP did win a handful of wards in Kapurthala, Moga and Batala municipal corporations.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal while congratulating CM Mann for the party’s performance in the elections referred to BJP as the “ED party”. He said that the traders and businessmen of Punjab have given a befitting reply to BJP for harassing them through ED raids.
पंजाब में शहरी क्षेत्रों में आम आदमी पार्टी की शानदार जीत के लिए पंजाब के लोगों का दिल से धन्यवाद। सबको बधाई।
लोगों ने ये ऐतिहासिक वोट देकर भगवंत मान सरकार के कामों को शाबाशी दी है। ऐसे ही हम अच्छे काम आगे भी करते रहेंगे।
ED पार्टी का सफ़ाया हो गया। ED पार्टी ने पंजाब के छोटे… pic.twitter.com/NxQI56gEEt
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 29, 2026
The Akali Dal, meanwhile, remains a dwindling force. Although it has shown signs of survival in certain pockets, it is nowhere near reclaiming the statewide influence it once enjoyed. The party won some wards in the Mohali, Kapurthala, Moga and Bathinda municipal corporations but did not cross single digits. Its performance in Bathinda was being closely watched given that the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat is represented by Akali leader Harsimrat Badal.
Among municipal councils the Akalis performed well were Kot Shamir, Maluka, Bhai Bhagtan Ke, Maur, Nathan, and Sangat; all in Bathinda district. It also won some wards in Budhlada and Mansa, and in Malout in Muktsar district. In the Majitha municipal council the Akalis won 6 wards while the AAP won 7. Majitha assembly constituency is represented by Akali MLA Genieve Majithia, wife of senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
SAD state chief Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that the ruling party had misused their position to win. “Despite widespread suppression — including rejection of nomination papers, misuse of the police and State Election Commission, and open goondaism by @AamAadmiParty — the people of Punjab have clearly shown where their faith lies. This is a powerful message,” Badal wrote on X.
Heartiest congratulations to all Shiromani Akali Dal candidates and the large number of independent candidates supported by the party for their splendid performance in the Municipal elections.
Despite widespread suppression — including rejection of nomination papers, misuse of… pic.twitter.com/RqFYqYYI1O
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) May 29, 2026
The results have raised an important strategic question for both the BJP and the Akalis. If the objective is to challenge AAP effectively in 2027, these results may force a reassessment of political realities. Separately, neither appears capable of seriously threatening the ruling party.
A broader understanding or alliance may become a matter of political necessity rather than preference.
As for the AAP, while the outcome is encouraging, political analyst Dr Kanwalpreet Kaur, a professor at DAV College Sector 10 Chandigarh, said these results are not a guarantee of victory in 2027.
“Assembly elections are fought on a much larger canvas. However, they do provide a crucial psychological and political advantage. The ruling party has demonstrated that its core urban vote remains intact and that anti-incumbency has not yet translated into an anti-government wave.
For the opposition, the message is even clearer: time is running out. Unless Congress resolves its internal battles and unless the BJP and Akalis rethink their strategy, Punjab’s civic verdict may well be remembered as the first indication of where the 2027 Assembly battle is headed,” she added.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
