Vote counting is underway for Punjab's 102 civic bodies, a critical test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of next year's assembly elections, with AAP currently leading significantly with 220 seats, followed by Congress with 90, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 75, and BJP with 20 seats, as the polls saw 7,555 candidates contesting across 75 Municipal Councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats. AAP has demonstrated strong performance in areas like Barnala and Dhuri, while BJP Punjab chief Kewal Singh Dhillon expressed confidence in forming the government in 2027, criticizing AAP's governance, and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal countered by stating BJP's campaign would involve more than just investigative agency raids, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also highlighting Dhillon's past electoral defeats.

Vote counting is underway for Punjab's 102 civic bodies, a critical test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of next year's assembly elections, with AAP currently leading significantly with 220 seats, followed by Congress with 90, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 75, and BJP with 20 seats, as the polls saw 7,555 candidates contesting across 75 Municipal Councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats. AAP has demonstrated strong performance in areas like Barnala and Dhuri, while BJP Punjab chief Kewal Singh Dhillon expressed confidence in forming the government in 2027, criticizing AAP's governance, and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal countered by stating BJP's campaign would involve more than just investigative agency raids, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also highlighting Dhillon's past electoral defeats.

Vote counting is underway for Punjab's 102 civic bodies, a critical test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of next year's assembly elections, with AAP currently leading significantly with 220 seats, followed by Congress with 90, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 75, and BJP with 20 seats, as the polls saw 7,555 candidates contesting across 75 Municipal Councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats. AAP has demonstrated strong performance in areas like Barnala and Dhuri, while BJP Punjab chief Kewal Singh Dhillon expressed confidence in forming the government in 2027, criticizing AAP's governance, and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal countered by stating BJP's campaign would involve more than just investigative agency raids, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also highlighting Dhillon's past electoral defeats.

Results for Punjab’s 102 civic bodies will be declared on Friday, with vote counting currently underway. The civic polls are a high-stakes litmus test for the ruling AAP and a curtain-raiser for next year's crucial assembly elections.

According to local media reports, AAP is leading with 220 seats so far, followed by Congress winning 90 seats and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 75 seats each. BJP has secured 20 seats so far.

AAP has secured eight out of the 10 wards in the Barnala Municipal Corporation. While in Bareta, results have been declared for five out of 14 wards, with Independents winning four and AAP taking one seat.

Reportedly, AAP swept in Amritsar's Nagar Panchayat, 9 of 15 wards in Jalandhar's Kartarpur. The party is also leading in Bathinda, and Hoshiapur.

The Punjab State Election Commission reported a total voter turnout of 63.94% in the civic polls.

AAP is leading in Ludhiana district with 23 seats out of the 108 seats in six municipal councils, including Khanna, Doraha, Payal and Raikot.

Also, AAP won 16 of 21 wards in the Dhuri Municipal constituency.

Polling for 75 Municipal Councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats across the state was held on May 26.

A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting the elections. AAP has fielded 1,801 candidates, while Congress has fielded 1,550 candidates. BJP fielded 1,316 candidates, while SAD fielded 1,251 candidates for the civic body polls.

BJP Punjab unit chief Kewal Singh Dhillon claimed that the party will form the government in the state after the 2027 Assembly polls.

Hitting out at the AAP government in Punjab led by Bhagwant Mann, Dhillon claimed that it did not fulfil its poll promises made to the people of the state.

He alleged that a "goonda raj" is prevailing in Punjab under AAP rule. "Once we form the government in Punjab, we will make it the No. 1 state in all areas.

While taking a dig at the BJP, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said that the BJP's election campaign in Punjab will not be limited solely to "ED and CBI raids".

Meanwhile, Mann said that Dhillon, a Congress leader who had switched to the BJP, had been defeated by the people of Barnala region in the polls in 2017-2019 and in 2024.

Counting is facilitated under heavy police deployment.

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