Congress juggernaut rolls on, wins 267 of total 414 Nagar Panchayat, Nagar Council wards
By Vijay Pal Brar/Raju William
Chandigarh, December 17, 2017: Nine months since the Congress stormed to power in Punjab in March this year winning 75 of the total 117 Assembly seats, the results of municipal polls out on Sunday showed it still enjoyed the trust of the state’s electorate.
The data released by the State Election Commission (SEC) post declaration of all the results bore testimony to the party’s unwavering popularity which the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh termed as vindication of its policies.
Of the total 414 wards of 29 Nagar Panchayats and Nagar Councils which went to polls, the Congress candidates won in 267.
The traditional Congress rival Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could win only 37 wards whereas its alliance partner BJP’s candidates got elected from 15 wards. Their combined tally of 52 wards was even far less than the Independents who were declared winner from 94 wards.
The most miserable was the performance of AAP, the main Opposition party in the state Vidhan Sabha. The party could win from only one ward. Notably, the AAP contested the municipal polls for the first time in the state.