Will AAP claim MC crown or Cong stage a comeback?

The stage is set for a high-stake showdown as the elections to the Municipal Corporation (MC), Jalandhar, along with three municipal councils and three nagar panchayats in the district, will be held on December 21. With voter sentiment shifting and civic issues dominating the narrative, the upcoming polls are a litmus test for all political players, particularly AAP and the Congress.

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After its lackluster performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections — where it managed to win just three of Punjab’s 13 seats — the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is under pressure to prove its mettle. Despite its historic Assembly elections triumph in 2022, when it clinched 92 out of 117 seats, AAP now faces the challenge of delivering on promises made about civic reforms, waste management and infrastructure upgrades. Its performance in the MC elections will signal whether its popularity remains intact or has waned over time.

The Congress, on the other hand, which faced a humiliating defeat in the 2022 Assembly elections with just 18 seats, staged a partial comeback during the parliamentary polls by securing seven out of the 13 seats. A look back at the 2018 MC elections paints a very different picture — the Congress swept the House, securing 65 out of 80 seats, while the SAD-BJP alliance was reduced to 13 after ruling for 10 years. AAP, meanwhile, failed to win even a single seat, its candidates lagging far behind.

Six and a half years later (with MC polls delayed for about one and a half year), the city faces widespread civic neglect and voter frustration is palpable. “Our roads are crumbling, garbage disposal is inefficient and sewers are either clogged or bursting. We trusted AAP for change, but nothing has improved,” said Jaswant Kaur, a retired schoolteacher. “The Congress failed us for years too. Whoever wins must focus on ground realities this time”, she said.

Shopkeeper Deepak Mehta echoed similar sentiments, lamenting the deteriorating state of infrastructure. “All parties are promising solutions now, but where were they for the last six years? The situation in the city hasn’t changed.”

While political experts believe the fight is primarily between AAP and the Congress, the BJP continues to steadily improve its vote share in Punjab. Emerging as a credible third alternative, the BJP’s strategy may further disrupt the dynamics of the contest. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), still reeling from its dismal performances in the 2018 MC elections and subsequent Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, faces an uphill battle.

Traditionally, the MC elections have aligned with the ruling party in the state, but this time, the unpredictable voter sentiment, compounded by growing public anger over unresolved civic issues, makes the contest wide open. The party that sweeps the elections will not only gain control of the civic body, but will also set the tone for the 2027 Assembly elections — making this poll equally crucial for all stakeholders.