The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stamped its authority in five of the seven urban local body elections results and positioned itself within a kissing distance from the two key posts — Mohali Municipal Corporation mayor and Zirakpur Municipal Council president.
The party clinched simple majority in the Mohali MC by winning 26 seats out of 50 wards. Punjab AAP general secretary Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia and Sarabjeet Singh Samana, son of Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh, have emerged as the front runners for the post of Mayor.
Dr Ahluwalia, said to be close to Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia, is said to have an edge over Samana. Four ministers campaigned for him in the ward and a former MLA ran the day-to-day affairs for him.
In a House that had 37 Congress councillors and 13 Independents in the 2021 MC elections, the Congress has lost more than half of its seats, settling for 12 this time. Former health minister’s son Kanwarbir Singh Sidhu losing to an Independent was the most talked-about result. Several candidates picked by Sidhu lost the elections due to anti-incumbency factor. Sidhu’s brother and incumbent mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu did not contest the elections this time.
The Congress’ mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor chose not to contest election. However, Punjab acting Mahila Congress president Baljit Kaur posted the highest winning margin of 882 votes from ward No. 37. Gaurav Jain and his mother Raj Rani Jain again posted win from Ward No. 20 and 21, which are the strongholds of the Congress.
Gurmreet Kaur and her husband Harminder Singh of AAP won from Ward No. 3 and 4, respectively. Their winning margin was 182 and 142 respectively.
In Zirakpur, AAP won 16 seats out of 31 wards to stake a claim to the post of MC president. In Dera Bassi, AAP won 12 out of the total 19 seats with the SAD bagging three and the Congress and the BJP getting two each. In Banur Nagar Panchayat, AAP won 10 out of the total 13 wards. AAP bagged 12 of the 17 seats in the Lalru Nagar Council but the incumbent president Satish Kumar lost to Sandeep Rana (Independent).
AAP wave swept all the five urban local bodies of the district but could not touch the Nayagaon Municipal Council where the BJP kept at bay all three parties and Independents, to win 16 wards. Independents emerged victorious in three wards, and the Congress and AAP in one each.
Traditionally a SAD fortress, but this time, the party failed to open its account. Party chief Sukhbir Badal had held a roadshow on the last of of campaigning here. Surinder Kumar (BJP) won from Ward No.6 by a margin of 10 votes.
Mohali Ward 23 result pending
The result of Ward No. 23 in Mohali could not be declared till midnight as controversy erupted over bundles of ballot papers found stuck with each other with glue inside three boxes. SAD candidate Varinder Kumar and others registered their protest, but to no avail.
