BJP Expands Foothold In Punjab Civic Body Polls, Seat Tally Up From 20 To 163

Chandigarh: As counting for the Punjab civic body elections progressed on Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a marked improvement in its performance across urban local bodies in the state, where it conventionally did not have much of a political presence. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) retained its dominance in the overall electoral landscape.

As per early trends and results declared so far, the BJP has started making electoral gains across municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats. The saffron party has so far won 162 wards across 8 municipal corporations, 76 municipal councils and 21 nagar panchayats. Among these, 63 victories came from municipal corporations, while 99 were won in municipal councils.

BJP’s Best Performance In Municipal Corporations

Abohar emerged as the BJP’s strongest urban bastion in this election, with the saffron party winning 28 wards in the municipal corporation and emerging as the single-largest political force there. Pathankot also delivered a strong result for the saffron party, where it secured 18 wards.

The BJP also managed to gain a foothold in multiple other municipal corporations. It won seven wards in Barnala and three each in Mohali, Moga and Kapurthala. In Bathinda, it managed to secure one ward.

The outcome points to a strengthening of the BJP’s support base in urban and border regions, particularly in areas with sizeable Hindu voter populations.

Gains In Municipal Councils

Beyond the corporations, the party also improved its presence in municipal councils across the state. It performed well in Naya Gaon, where it won 16 wards, followed by Fazilka with 11 wards and Rajpura with eight. Mukerian delivered seven wards to the BJP, while Mansa and Ferozepur contributed six and five seats respectively.

The party further picked up four wards each in Zirakpur, Jagraon, Sujanpur and Roopnagar. It secured three seats each in Nabha, Nangal and Gobindgarh, and two apiece in Derabassi, Samana and Patran.

In several smaller civic bodies, the BJP managed to open its account with single-seat wins. These included Dhariwal, Hariana, Bhadaur, Samrala, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Malerkotla, Sunam, Banga, Kurali, Lalru, Kartarpur, Nakodar, Talwandi Bhai, Noormahal and Bassi Pathana.

The party’s improved showing marks a sharp contrast from the 2021 civic polls, which took place during the height of the farmers’ protest movement. At the time, the BJP had suffered heavy losses and won only 20 wards across eight municipal corporations. In cities such as Abohar, Bathinda and Kapurthala, the party had failed to win even a single seat.

How BJP Fared In 2021 Elections

The 2021 elections was mostly dominated by the Congress, which swept urban Punjab by winning 317 out of 400 municipal corporation wards statewide. The latest results indicate that the BJP has partially rebuilt its urban network in Punjab after severing its ties with the Shiromani Akali Dal. 

Although the AAP remains the principal force in Punjab’s civic politics, the BJP’s better tally indicates renewed traction in urban constituencies where it has traditionally enjoyed support among business communities and middle-class voters.

With counting still underway in several local bodies, the BJP’s final numbers could rise further, potentially giving the party a stronger foothold in Punjab’s urban political landscape.

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