CHANDIGARH, MAY 29 — Early election trends on Friday showed the Aam Aadmi Party outpacing its political rivals in the Punjab civic body polls, successfully breaching opposition bastions including the Gidderbaha Municipal Council.
The local body elections, which drew 21.38 lakh voters to the polls, put the political futures of 7,554 candidates on the line across 19 nagar panchayats, 75 municipal councils, and eight municipal corporations. As the ballots were tabulated, the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal faced setbacks in several traditional territories, while the BJP registered minimal victories in the opening rounds.
Gidderbaha, long recognized as a political fortress for Congress leader Raja Warring, saw AAP take an early lead in 12 of its 13 wards. Local election authorities confirmed that four AAP candidates achieved victory in Ward Numbers 2, 4, 6, and 7 during the initial round of counting. Independent politicians claimed victories in Ward Numbers 1, 3, and 5, split evenly with the ruling party among the seven initial results declared.
“The counting process is moving forward smoothly under tight security protocols,” a senior district election official declared. “We have processed the first round completely in several sensitive wards, and the remaining trends are being updated systematically.”
The broader regional tally mirrored the shift seen in Gidderbaha. AAP established a commanding presence in Khanna by capturing 10 wards and securing one uncontested seat. In Samrala, the party claimed three uncontested victories and led in five additional contested seats, while the Akali Dal managed to hold a lead in four wards within the same town.
Opposition presence remained restricted to specific municipalities. The Congress maintained its most visible frontline in Raikot, establishing leads in five wards, while retaining smaller margins in Jagraon and Payal. Independents picked up scattered victories in Doraha, Jagraon, and Payal. According to compiled district figures, AAP led the field with 23 wards, followed by the Congress with 15 wards, the Akali Dal with five, and independents holding three.
