If past voting patterns are any indication, the ruling party in Punjab tends to win local votes. This can be attributed to the fact that the polling of the municipal corporations so far has been organized in the same year that the state government came into office as their term ended almost at the same time.
However, it is the first time in 27 years that local polls will be held as the state government ends half of its tenure – the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will end its three-year rule in March 2025.
As the state prepares to vote in the general elections on Saturday, The Indian Express looks at the results of previous elections in the four major municipal corporations of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Patiala.
2017-18: Congress returned to power
Public polls were held in Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala municipal corporations in December 2017 and a few municipal councils in suburban areas. The Congress government under Captain Amarinder Singh has taken over March 2017 and the team tasted victory in all organizations.
The Congress also won the Ludhiana assembly elections in February 2018. The number of wards was recently increased to 95 as compared to 75 in 2012. Of these, 62 were won by the Congress and the BJP-Akali Dal alliance. 21 (SAD got 11, BJP 10). Lok Insaaf Party led by Simarjeet Singh Bains got 7 seats and AAP got 1 seat.
In Jalandhar, the number of wards increased to 80 in 2017 – from 60 in 2012 – where the Congress won 66, the SAD-BJP got 12 and the Independents won two seats.
The Congress’ victory in Patiala was decisive, winning 59 out of 60 wards, while the SAD had to settle for one seat. The civil society had only 50 seats in 2012. In Amritsar, on the other hand, the Congress won 60 of the 85 wards, while the SAD-BJP got 13 and the AAP got four seats, leaving the remaining seats for independents.
2012: SAD-BJP all the way
In 2012, the SAD-BJP coalition took power for a second consecutive term in Punjab, and went on to win the civic body elections. The state government was established in March of that year while general elections were held in June.
In Ludhiana, the ruling coalition won 44 of the 75 seats while the Congress could get only 17. Jalandhar, however, saw a better contest with the SAD-BJP winning 30 out of 60 wards, while the Opposition won 22. The Independents won, with one seat each going to the People’s Party of Punjab and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The SAD-BJP then took the support of independents to enjoy a comfortable majority in the house.
Amritsar saw a clean sweep by the SAD-BJP where it won 48 out of 65 wards, leaving four seats for the Congress as independents bagged 12 wards. Similarly, in Patiala, the ruling coalition won 39 out of 50 wards while the Congress won eight.
2007: SAD-BJP comes to power
The SAD-BJP alliance took power in Punjab in March 2007, after which local body elections were held in August that year.
Verdict won 42 out of 75 wards in Ludhiana elections, leaving 15 seats for Congress, while in Jalandhar, SAD-BJP got 33 out of 60 seats. Congress tasted victory in 19 seats while the rest went to independents.
The SAD-BJP victory race continued in Amritsar where it won 33 out of 65 seats while the Congress bagged 18 and independents got the rest. Also, independents have extended support to SAD-BJP with a comfortable majority. In Captain Amarinder Singh’s town of Patiala, the ruling party won 42 of the 50 seats as the Congress managed to seal four seats and independents took the rest.
2002: Captain Amarinder Singh leads Congress to victory
The Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh came to power in March 2002 and the party again won the municipal body elections held in June that year.
In Ludhiana, the Congress won 37 of the 70 wards, securing an adequate majority, as the Akali Dal-BJP combined for 21 seats. Independents won the remainder.
The ruling party fared better in Jalandhar where it won 32 out of 55 wards. SAD-BJP bagged nine seats, leaving the rest to independents.
Out of 60 wards in Amritsar, the Congress won 33, while in Patiala, it topped 43 out of 50 wards. SAD-BJP had to be satisfied with only seven seats.
What happened in this year’s general election?
This time, SAD and BJP are competing separately as AAP has upped its game. In Ludhiana, candidates are contesting for 95 seats, while the number is 85 in Jalandhar and Amritsar. When AAP contested the last election, the candidates could not make a mark. Things are very different this time and we have yet to see how many seats they will defend.
In Patiala, where 60 seats will go to polls, BJP candidates said the ruling AAP has prevented them from filing their nomination papers. Therefore, the party was able to field candidates in only 29 wards, said Pritpal Singh Baliawal, chief spokesperson of BJP Punjab. Interestingly, important BJP leaders here include Captain Amarinder Singh, his wife Preneet Kaur, and daughter Jai Inder Kaur. The president of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha district unit, Jai Inder Kaur is leading the public poll campaign.
Apart from the four major municipal corporations, there will also be voting in 44 municipal councils and the Phagwara municipal corporation on Saturday. The results will be declared on the same day.
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