Punjab Municipal Election: 7,555 candidates in fray as polling underway for 105 local bodies

Chandigarh :  Polling is underway across Punjab for elections to 105 urban local bodies, an electoral exercise serving as a high-stakes political barometer for major parties ahead of the 2027 State Assembly elections. A total of 7,555 candidates are in the fray across 1,896 wards, comprising eight Municipal Corporations—including Mohali, Bathinda, and Pathankot—76 Municipal Councils, and 21 Nagar PanchayatsVoters began queuing at 3,977 polling stations at 8:00 AM to cast their votes via ballot papers. The Supreme Court recently cleared the path for the traditional paper ballot system, dismissing legal challenges that pushed for electronic voting machines.

To facilitate maximum voter turnout, the state government has declared a public holiday. The multi-cornered contest features heavy deployment from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with 1,801 candidates, followed closely by the Congress with 1,550 nominees, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 1,316, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 1,251. An additional 1,528 Independent candidates are testing the waters, making the battlefield highly unpredictable.

Following directives from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to ensure absolute transparency, extensive CCTV surveillance is operational inside and outside polling booths. Out of the total booths, 740 have been classified as sensitive and 275 as hyper-sensitive, prompting the mobilization of roughly 32,000 police personnel alongside 35,000 election officials to maintain law and order.

Amid an intense heatwave sweeping northern India, opposition leaders have appealed to the State Election Commission to consider extending polling hours. However, standard voting remains scheduled until 5:00 PM. The fate of the candidates will be officially sealed when the counting of votes begins on May 29.