AAP’s dominance in Punjab… many interesting figures surprised, what is the connection with Congress?

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has got a big victory in the results of local body elections held yesterday in Punjab. Many interesting figures and facts have also come to light in these civic elections. Usually in Punjab, the same party which is in power wins the local body elections and this time also something similar has been seen. The Congress in power in 2021 had got a similar big success as the Aam Aadmi Party has now got in the 2026 local body elections.

In the 2021 Punjab local body elections, the then ruling party Indian National Congress (INC) had won a unilateral and historic victory. Voting was held for a total of 117 urban local bodies (8 Municipal Corporations and 109 Municipal Councils/Nagar Panchayats) on 14 February 2021 and the results were declared on 17 February 2021. In this election, elections were held in a total of 2,215 seats (wards). Congress emerged as the largest party in the state by winning a total of more than 1,399 wards. It is noteworthy that Congress was also in power at that time.

Shiromani Akali Dal is at second place

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had entered the Punjab civic elections for the first time and was successful in registering its presence mainly in the urban areas. BJP had to suffer huge losses in this election due to the protests against agricultural laws and farmers’ movements and the party was reduced to very few seats.

1. Congress 1432 out of 2215 seats
2. Shiromani Akali Dal 284
3. Aam Aadmi Party 69
4. BJP 49
5. independent 364
6. other 17

The ruling party got a big victory

In 2021, Congress was in power and appeared in the local body elections as the strongest party across Punjab. Congress had a big victory in all 8 municipal corporations and most of the councils/panchayats. Whereas in the 2026 Punjab local body elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won a landslide victory. Out of the total 1,977 wards elections held in the state in 2026, AAP alone has won 958 wards, while the second-placed Congress has won 397 wards.

1. 251 wards to independents
2. Shiromani Akali Dal gets 192 wards
3. Bharatiya Janata Party gets 172 wards
4. 07 wards to Bahujan Samaj Party

In the elections held on eight municipal corporations of Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party has won on five, Congress on one and BJP on one corporation. Whereas no party has majority in a corporation. BJP has won as the largest party in Pathankot Municipal Corporation but it could not get majority.

1. Municipal Council – 75
2. Aam Aadmi Party – 40
3. Congress – 18
4. Shiromani Akali Dal – 10
5. BJP – 4
6. Others – 3

Nagar Panchayat – 21 (no election on one due to legal reasons) – 20

1. Aam Aadmi Party – 11
2. Congress – 5
3. Shiromani Akali Dal – 2
4. BJP-1
5. other-1

If we see, out of total 104 seats in Punjab, AAP has got 56 seats, Congress 24, BJP 6 and Shiromani Akali Dal 12 seats.

1. Total Ward – 1977
2. Aam Aadmi Party – 958
3. Congress – 397
4. BJP – 172
5. Akali Dal – 192
6. Independent – ​​251
7. BSP – 7

Whoever has power, registers a big victory

In the Punjab local body elections held in February 2021, elections were declared for a total of 117 urban local bodies (8 Municipal Corporations and 109 Municipal Councils/Nagar Panchayats), out of which Congress won a unilateral majority on most of the bodies and won on more than 98 bodies. In 2021, Congress had made a clean sweep on all the eight municipal corporations. Along with this, by adding independents to some bodies, Congress had captured a total of 98 bodies.

Some interesting things have also come to light in the 2026 civic elections. Big faces of many parties have not been able to lead their party to victory in their own strongholds. The Congress has suffered a major setback in Gidderbaha Municipal Council, the traditional stronghold of Punjab Congress State President Amarinder Singh Raja Wading. Here, Aam Aadmi Party has performed brilliantly and won 17 out of 19 wards.

Big faces could not save their stronghold

In the Mohali Municipal Corporation elections, veteran Congress leader and former Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has suffered a big family shock in his own house. His son Kanwarbir Singh Sidhu was defeated by independent candidate Paramjeet Singh Kalo from Ward No. 10 by 131 votes. AAP has emerged as the largest party in Mohali Municipal Corporation with 26 wards.

In Bathinda Municipal Corporation, an area dominated by the Badal family, AAP has given a crushing defeat to Shiromani Akali Dal by securing a clear majority in 31 wards. However, some relief news for Sukhbir Singh Badal came from Rampura Phul Municipal Council, where Akali Dal won 27 wards, leaving AAP behind (23 wards).

BJP wins in Abohar and Pathankot

This time there was huge uproar and tough competition in the Majitha Municipal Council elections, which is considered to be the stronghold of Akali Dal leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Akali Dal won 6 wards here, while AAP touched the majority mark by winning 7 wards (of which Aam Aadmi Party had already won 2 wards unopposed). Apart from this, the deposits of BJP candidates in more than 1000 wards were also confiscated.

However, BJP has captured the Municipal Corporation of Abohar, the bastion of former Punjab BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, who was recently replaced, while in Pathankot, the bastion of BJP’s state executive president and old leader Ashwini Sharma, BJP has definitely emerged as the largest party in the Municipal Corporation, but is far from the majority. There has been a trend in Punjab that whichever party is in power wins the local body elections easily.