AAP wins 29 councils, Cong 2, hung verdict in 10

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not the clear choice of voters in four of the municipal corporations (MCs) of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Phagwara and Ludhiana, but it has managed to win in 29 municipal councils or nagar panchayats of the total 41, the results for which were declared today.

The repoll has been ordered in one ward of Khanna and the polling in eight wards of Dharamkot (of a total 13) has been deferred by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri. Elections for seven wards of Patiala MC was earlier deferred by the High Court.

MC results

While in Patiala, AAP is clear the winner and set to elect its mayor, in Jalandhar and Ludhiana, it fell short of a clear majority, though it emerged as the largest party. In Amritsar and Phagwara, the Congress turned out to be the largest party

With the results declared, the politicking by AAP and the Congress has started to elect mayors in the four corporations and ten councils or nagar panchayats to get a majority for electing their own mayors.

While the Congress won in two of the councils (Shahkot and Dakha), voters in six civic bodies have reposed their faith in the maximum number of Independent candidates. Interestingly, the BJP, which prides itself as an urban party, has not won a majority in any council, nor has the beleaguered Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Wards won by parties

AAP               515

Congress       187

BJP                     68

SAD               26

BSP               03

Independents 155

Councils where Independent candidates have won more seats than those fielded by AAP and the Congress are Rampura Phul (11), Bhogpur (10), Begowal (eight), Dhilwan (nine), Bhikhi (seven), Khanauri (10) and Sangrur (10), which is the home district of CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP state chief Aman Arora and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema.

Other than this, three other civic bodies where no one has got the majority are Nadala, Bhadson and Narot Jaimal Singh. The share of Independents in the electoral wins is 16 per cent.

In terms of absolute figures of win, AAP has emerged as the biggest party in urban Punjab, winning in 515 wards of the total 961. The Congress has won in 187 wards, BJP in 68, Akali Dal in 26 and the BSP in three. “The results are a clear indication of who is the most popular amongst urban voters. The results have shattered the illusion created by the Congress and the BJP that urban voters are with them. While we bagged 55 per cent of the wards, even together, these two parties and the SAD could not bag the remaining 45 per cent wards,” said the AAP state chief.

The real worry for all parties, however, should be the big win by Independent candidates, who have won in a total of 155 wards.