Chandigarh: A crucial political contest unfolded across Punjab on Tuesday as lakhs of voters headed to polling booths to elect representatives for urban local bodies, in what is being viewed as a major political test ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Voting commenced at 8 am and is scheduled to continue until 5 pm, with more than 35 lakh eligible voters expected to cast their ballots across the state.
The elections are being conducted for eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils, and 20 nagar panchayats, with a total of 7,555 candidates contesting for various seats.
The State Election Commission has made extensive security and administrative arrangements to ensure smooth polling. Nearly 32,000 police personnel and 35,000 election officials have been deployed across polling stations to maintain order and oversee the electoral process.
Officials have classified 740 polling booths as sensitive and 274 as highly sensitive, prompting tighter security deployment in vulnerable areas.
State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari said all necessary precautions had been taken to guarantee free and peaceful voting, adding that close monitoring was underway throughout the day.
The electoral race has drawn participation from all major political parties. The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded the highest number of candidates at 1,801, followed by the Congress with 1,550, the Bharatiya Janata Party with 1,316, and the Shiromani Akali Dal with 1,251. The Bahujan Samaj Party has entered 96 candidates, while 1,528 contestants are fighting as Independents.
During the nomination review process, papers of 713 candidates were rejected, narrowing the final contest.
Punjab’s voter list for these civic elections includes 18.33 lakh male voters, 17.11 lakh female voters, and 220 voters registered under the third-gender category.
Political analysts believe the results could offer a strong indication of shifting voter sentiment in urban Punjab and may influence political strategies in the run-up to the next Assembly elections.
Counting of votes is expected to be completed after polling, with the final results likely to trigger fresh political calculations across the state.
