Punjab civic polls: AAP sweeps Hoshiarpur, Jalalabad ahead of 2027

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has secured a significant victory in the civic body polls in Hoshiarpur and Jalalabad, winning 35 of 50 seats and 12 of 17 seats respectively, strengthening its position ahead of the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections.

AAP Dominates Punjab Civic Polls

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has dominated the civic body polls in Hoshiarpur and Jalalabad, in the run-up to the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections. AAP won 35 of 50 seats in the Hoshiarpur Municipal Corporation elections, followed by Congress winning nine seats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing three seats, and the remaining three seats were won by independent candidates. Hoshiarpur witnessed 60.5 per cent voter turnout. Hoshiarpur also has an AAP MLA in Bram Shanker (Jimpa).

AAP also won 12 of 17 seats in Jalalabad Municipal Council, a region once considered to be Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal's stronghold, the party said on X. Badal had defeated Bhagwant Mann in Jalalabad in the 2017 Assembly elections, while AAP leader Jagdeep Kamboj managed to defeat the SAD chief by a margin of 30,930 votes in 2022.

Challenges for the AAP Government

Earlier in May, AAP had swept the elections in eight Municipal Corporations, 75 Municipal Councils and 19 Nagar Panchayats. While the Bhagwant Mann government faces trouble over religious issues, the party maintains a strong grip over local bodies ahead of the Assembly elections next year. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann came under the brunt of the controversy surrounding a purported video insulting the Sikh Gurus. Mann has maintained that the video was generated with artificial intelligence (AI) and that he was not present in the video.

Row Over Anti-Sacrilege Legislation

Meanwhile, in a significant development that could reshape Punjab's anti-sacrilege legislation, Sri Akal Takht Sahib on Monday gave the Punjab government one month to amend the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, in accordance with Sikh sentiments, after summoning Sikh Cabinet ministers and MLAs from across political parties to explain how the law was passed without consulting key Sikh institutions.

Congress Eyes Comeback Amid Internal Rift Rumours

Congress, which has held up a runner-up position in the civic polls, is also looking to make a comeback in power in the Assembly. Amid speculations of an internal rift, Punjab Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring dismissed reports of conflict with former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, asserting that the party will remain united to "fight together for Punjab" in the upcoming assembly elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)