Punjab election results: Green flag for AAP in civic body polls held using ballot paper, Congress distant second

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday won over 48% of the municipal wards in the Punjab civic body elections, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann describing the victory as people's stamp of approval on the ruling party's development work and rejection of the Opposition's "politics of hatred".

According to Punjab State Election Commission data, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 958 of the total 1,977 wards, Congress came second by winning 397 wards, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 192 wards and BJP 172 wards.

Independent candidates performed fairly well in the urban local body elections, registering victories in 251 wards. The BSP won seven wards.

Congress secured a dominant position in Kapurthala by winning 31 wards, while BJP emerged as the single largest party in Pathankot and Abohar with 22 and 28 wards, respectively.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal thanked the people of Punjab for his party's "spectacular" victory.

"Congratulations to everyone. By casting this historic vote, the people have applauded the work of the Bhagwant Mann government. We will continue to do good work in the same way in the future," he said.

Targeting the BJP, Kejriwal said, "The ED party has been wiped out."

Today, people have avenged the small traders of Punjab who were harassed by the "ED party" by conducting raids against them, he said.

The people of Punjab have defeated the opposition's politics of hatred, he said.

"They have rejected parties who indulge in divisive politics," he added.

AAP workers celebrated by exchanging sweets and dancing to dhol beats, with party leader Manish Sisodia thanking voters for reposing their faith in Kejriwal and Mann.

"People of Punjab have replied to the ED party. ED politics will not work in Punjab," Sisodia said, claiming that security deposits of 1,142 BJP candidates were forfeited.

The civic body elections were seen as a litmus test for AAP and a referendum on the Mann government's work.

The stakes were also high for Congress. Losing the Gidderbaha Municipal Council is a setback for the party.

The opposition Congress lashed out at the AAP government, accusing it of abusing power and misusing the official machinery.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring congratulated party workers for their courage in putting up a brave fight against AAP's "high-handedness".

"It was their stated policy of 'saam, daam, dand, bhed' (by hook or by crook) that was nakedly displayed during the municipal elections across Punjab," Warring said, alleging abuse of power by AAP.

Meanwhile BJP, which was seeing these elections as an opportunity to expand its base, fell short of expectations. It could not perform in urban segments the way it had hoped.

The poll results brought some relief to SAD, whose performance showed that it has retained its support base in urban segments.

The counting of votes began at 8 am on Friday amid tight security arrangements.

Out of the 1,977 wards, candidates in 80 wards were elected unopposed.

For the local body elections, 7,554 candidates were in the fray.

In the Dhuri Municipal Council, AAP won 19 of the 21 wards, with Independents winning the remaining two. Dhuri is the home turf of Mann.

— With inputs from PTI