Polling for Punjab’s civic body elections began on Tuesday across 103 urban local bodies, making it one of the state’s biggest local governance exercises in recent years. The elections are being conducted for eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils, and 20 nagar panchayats across the state. According to the Punjab State Election Commission, a total of 7,555 candidates are contesting in 1,896 wards.
The elections are considered politically significant ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Major political parties, including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), are contesting aggressively in urban regions. Political observers have described the civic polls as an important indicator of public mood in the state.
Voting is being carried out through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) under tight security arrangements. Authorities have deployed nearly 32,000 police personnel and around 35,000 election staff across polling stations to ensure peaceful polling. Officials stated that 740 polling booths have been declared sensitive, while 274 have been categorized as hypersensitive.
The Punjab State Election Commission had announced the election schedule earlier this month, with polling scheduled for May 26 and counting of votes set for May 29. More than 36 lakh voters are eligible to participate in the elections across the state.
The election campaign witnessed intense political rivalry, with opposition parties alleging irregularities in the nomination process after hundreds of nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny. The ruling party, however, rejected the allegations and stated that the elections are being conducted fairly and transparently.
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