In elections to eight municipal corporations, AAP won five, while Congress and the BJP secured one corporation each. No party managed a clear majority in Pathankot, where the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 22 seats in the 50-member corporation. In comparison, Congress had won three corporations in the 2021 civic polls, while AAP and the BJP had won two each.
Also read: Punjab civic polls: Political workers clash at several places; 63.94 per cent voter turnout recorded
Across the state, AAP dominated the urban civic elections. Of the 1,977 wards that went to polls, the party won 958. Congress finished a distant second with 397 wards, followed by Independents with 251, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 192 and the BJP with 172.
The results come as a major boost for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ahead of the assembly elections. “Punjabis have once again put their stamp of approval on the works of your government. In the Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha, Panchayati elections, and now in the municipal corporation and nagar panchayat elections too, AAP has recorded a massive victory. Our candidates have won over 90% of the municipal councils,” Mann said in a post on X.
The outcome is a setback for both Congress and the SAD-BJP combine as they prepare for next year’s electoral contest. Newly appointed Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, however, maintained that the party would spring a surprise in the assembly elections despite its underwhelming performance in the civic polls.
Also read: Punjab Municipal Corporation Election Results 2026: AAP wins over 48% of wards; Congress remains in second place
At the same time, local body poll victories do not necessarily translate into success in assembly elections. In 2021, Congress swept the civic polls by a wider margin than AAP has achieved this time. Yet, in the subsequent assembly election, Congress suffered a crushing defeat, winning only 18 of the state’s 117 seats while AAP stormed to power.
