Chandigarh: In the final count, the Congress won 1,199 of the 1,815 wards in municipal councils and 281 of the 350 municipal corporation seats, with Shiromani Akali Dal trailing at 289 and 33, the Bharatiya Janata Party at 38 and 20, and the Aam Aadmi Party at 57 and nine, respectively, while the remaining went largely to independents and the BSP (K) and the CPI winning in 13 and 12 wards, respectively.
The swing in favour of the Congress in comparison with the 2015 municipal corporation elections in Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Moga and Pathankot districts is manifest in the fact that from 11 seats back then, the party's tally has improved to a whopping 149 now.
Similarly, in the wards, from 356 in 2015, the Congress score now has gone up to 1,480.
01:50 pm Congress on Wednesday won all 07 Municipal Corporations - Abohar (49/50), Bathinda (43/50), Kapurthala (43/50), Hoshiarpur (41/50), Pathankot (37/50), Moga (20/50) and Batla (35/50) where polls were held to elect new bodies.
Congress rivals SAD, BJP and AAP were routed. The only consolation SAD had was in Moga Municipal Corporation where it won 15 of the 50 seats, and BJP in Pathankot where it won 11 of the 50 seats. The Congress has emerged the single largest party in both the corporations.
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12:15 pm Amid farmers' protest, the ruling Congress in Punjab took a major lead in the civic body polls, while the BJP, which was facing anger over the contentious Central farm laws, had a dismal show.
In a clean sweep, the Congress won 49 out of 50 wards in Abohar, while Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won one.
Out of 50 wards in Hoshiarpur, the Congress won 31 wards. The Bharatiya Janata Party won four wards, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) two. However, SAD and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not win any ward.
In Moga, the Congress won 20 out of the 50 wards, while SAD was second with 15 wards. Independent candidates won 10 wards, while the AAP and the BJP won four and one wards respectively.
In the Bhawanigarh municipal council, the Congress won 13 out of the 15 seats while SAD and Independent won one seat each. The BJP and AAP failed to secure any seats.
Latest updates at 11:15 am from various counting centres showed the ruling Congress (INC) is ahead in Zirakpur Municipality (14 seats), Rajpura Municipality/Nagar Panchayat (27 seats), Nangal Municipality/Nagar Panchayat (15 seats), Mukatsar Municipality/Nagar Panchayat (09 seats), Larlu Municipality (06 seats), Kot Isse Khan Municipality (09 seats), Jagraon Municipality (13 seats) Gurdaspur Municipality (29 seats), Faridkot Municipality (13 seats), Moga Municipal Corporation (20 seats), Dera Bassi Municipality (13 seats), Banur Municipality (12 seats), Kapurthala Municipal Corporation (43 seats), Batala Municipal Corporation (17 seats) and Abohar Municipal Corporation (49 seats).
11:15 am The ruling Congress is well ahead of its rivals SAD, AAP and BJP in the Punjab local bodies elections where counting of votes started today morning.
Latest updates at 11:15 am from various counting centres showed the ruling Congress (INC) is ahead in Zirakpur Municipality (06 seats), Rajpura Municipality/Nagar Panchayat (27 seats), Nangal Municipality/Nagar Panchayat (15 seats), Mukatsar Municipality/Nagar Panchayat (09 seats), Larlu Municipality (06 seats), Kot Isse Khan Municipality (09 seats), Gurdaspur Municipality (19 seats), Faridkot Municipality (09 seats), Moga Municipal Corporation (20 seats) and Batala Municipal Corporation (17 seats).
In Moga Municipal Corporation 2021 elections, SAD is leading on 15 seats, AAP on 04 and BJP on 01 seat.
In Majitha and Malout Municipality elections, SAD is emerging as the single largest party maintaining lead in 13 and 07 wards respectively, according to the trends at 11:15 am.
09:45 am Latest updates from various counting centres showed the ruling Congress (INC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a neck and neck battle.
According to the trends at 09:45 am, Congress and Akali Dal both are leading in 04 local bodies each. Trends also showed Congress leading in Gurdaspur Municipal Corporation.
AAP and BJP candidates are lagging behind their rivals, trends showed.
09:15 am The fate of 2,252 candidates will be decided on Wednesday as the counting of ballots for the 116 Punjab urban local bodies, including seven high-stake municipal corporations, began amid tight security, electoral officials said.
Amid allegations of booth capturing and clashes, there was 71.39 per cent of the 39,15,280 electorate polling on February 14 in the state.
The counting of votes for the Municipal Corporation in Mohali would take place on Thursday after repolling in two booths owing to reports of irregularities.
The main contest in the urban local bodies is among the Congress, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
The BJP, which is facing anger over the contentious Central farm laws, is also in the fray. It is contesting the polls for the first time in two decades without the Akalis, the oldest NDA ally that has parted ways from it over the farm laws.
Local issues of towns and cities and the respective wards dominated the campaigning.
The counting began for seven municipal corporations -- Abohar, Bathinda, Batala, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Moga -- and 109 municipal councils and municipal panchayats.
A total of 9,222 candidates were in fray for 2,302 wards.
Political observers say these polls just a year ahead of the Assembly elections are a 'semi-final' for the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government that is eyeing to repeat its victory against the backdrop of the farm laws that have generated a wave of anger against the BJP.
On the eve of ballot count, a confident Chief Minister Amarinder Singh termed the allegations of the BJP and AAP on rigging of civic polls as a typical case of crying foul in the face of their imminent defeat in the election.
"It's a panic reaction to their inevitable wipeout in these polls," said the Chief Minister, adding that the BJP and AAP, as well as SAD, are all set to be completely trounced in these municipal polls, whose results will be the precursor of worse to come for these parties that have totally lost the confidence and trust of the people.
"All these parties have worked together to ruin Punjab, with the black farm laws the latest in the long line of their anti-people and anti-Punjab actions," Amarinder Singh added.
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