Following the Ahmed Aadmi Party’s disappointing performance in urban Punjab in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the state government has decided to postpone the municipal elections (MC), which are scheduled to be held over a year ahead. The AAP won three seats in the assembly elections – Sangrur, Hoshiarpur and Anandpur Sahib.
Elections to five municipalities — Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Phagwara — are due but the government has postponed holding the polls. The tenure of Amritsar and Patiala municipalities ended on January 22 last year, Jalandhar on January 24 and Ludhiana on March 26. Besides, elections to 39 municipal councils and nagar panchayats are also scheduled. There are 47 municipalities in the state, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Phagwara municipalities.
The MC elections, initially scheduled for January 2023, are likely to be postponed further as the AAP re-evaluates its strategy.
Senior government sources said legislators from Amritsar, Ludhiana and other constituencies had urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann not to hold municipal elections and give the party time to rethink its strategy in urban areas. Many party leaders have accused the police and administration of not listening to the views of AAP legislators and party workers.
“The ruling AAP’s dismal performance in urban areas in the Lok Sabha elections is a cause for concern for the party. While the Indian National Congress also failed to perform well in urban areas, the AAP is worried about its electoral prospects. Feedback from state legislators is that they feel workers and volunteers are being neglected in urban areas. Hence, the decision has been taken to postpone the state assembly elections further,” said an AAP state legislator on condition of anonymity.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to win any seats in Punjab in the Indian Lok Sabha elections, but won the largest share of votes in urban areas.
In Ludhiana, the state’s largest municipality, the BJP is leading in five urban assembly constituencies. “The party will take its time to find suitable candidates and garner political support in the city,” sources said.
A senior official in the local body department confirmed that notification papers for the municipal elections were sent to the Chief Minister’s office two months ago but approval was pending.
Though a case is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court over holding the municipal elections, the government is taking its time and plans to hold the polls in September-end or October, officials said.
Despite repeated attempts, Punjab Local Government Minister Balkar Singh did not respond to requests for comment.
Officials at the Chief Minister’s office confirmed that they had the document in hand, but added that the Chief Minister had to take a decision on the matter.
