'Saffron surge loading': BJP leader Amit Malviya on Punjab urban body poll results
New Delhi, May 29
Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party is falling short of a four-digit number in the local urban body election where the Bharatiya Janata Party appears poised to have its Mayor and Chairman elected in many municipal bodies, according to BJP leader Amit Malviya.
"BIG HIGHLIGHTS: AAP falls short of the 1,000 mark in the Punjab Urban Local Body elections. The BJP will have its Mayor and Chairman in multiple municipal bodies," he said on social media platform X on Friday.
Malviya is the BJP's National Executive member and also in-charge of party's IT department.
Counting of votes began early Friday amid tight security arrangements after polling was held on May 26 using ballot papers.
"A total of 7,555 candidates is in the fray for various Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats across the state," reports said.
The ruling AAP nominated 1,801 candidates, Congress 1,550, BJP 1,316, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) fielded 1,251 contestants for the civic body elections, reports added.
"The deep dive: Punjab's local body election trends over the last decade tell a fascinating political story," Malviya claimed in an X post.
According to the BJP leader, this is the first time in 11 years that a ruling party in Punjab has failed to cross the 1,000-seat mark in local body elections.
He claimed of "a series of serious allegations raised by the Opposition during the poll campaign".
The BJP leader claimed that in the 2015 local body election, 1,060 SAD candidates, 360 of the BJP, and 356 from Congress registered victories, among others, who numbered over 400.
"The SAD-BJP alliance looked dominant, yet it went on to lose the Assembly Elections," he said.
"In 2021, the Congress surged ahead with 1,432 wins, while the SAD got 284, BJP 59, AAP 69, and Independents 364," he noted.
"Congress appeared unbeatable but lost the very next Assembly Elections," Malviya said.
"Now look at 2026: (1,941 out of 1,977 seats declared) AAP: 945, INC: 380, SAD: 191, BJP: 169, BSP: 7, Independents: 249," he wrote.
"Opposition candidates alleged that several nominations were rejected on technical grounds, while 63 AAP candidates were elected unopposed after no rival nominations were filed in those wards. Congress and other opposition parties also accused AAP MLAs of intimidating Opposition supporters during the elections," Malviya claimed.
He stressed that there were other allegations of misuse of the state police and administrative machinery by the AAP government where "Reports of booth capturing and violence against Opposition candidates also emerged from several areas during polling," he added.
According to Malviya, AAP "remained below the symbolic 1,000-seat mark, reflecting visible anti-incumbency against the Bhagwant Mann government", though it enjoyed "the advantages of incumbency and the state machinery".
He criticised the Congress for appearing "directionless", adding that SAD has still not fully recovered politically.
"Amid this churn, the BJP's performance stands out," he said, adding, "In 2021, the BJP had fought the local body elections independently and won 59 wards. In 2026, once again contesting without any alliance support, the BJP has already crossed 169 wards, an increase of 110 wards in just five years."
In his words, the BJP has "performed beyond expectations despite lacking both administrative backing and alliance arithmetic", and indicated "Punjab's political churn has begun and the saffron surge is loading".
— IANS
Reader Comments
Haaye... The allegations of booth capturing and violence are serious! If true, it shows how AAP is misusing power. But both Congress and SAD should also introspect - 380 and 191 seats respectively is pathetic for parties with such strong history in Punjab. Meanwhile, BJP's 169 is impressive given they have no alliance or state machinery. Punjab politics is definitely changing! 🙏
Interesting how BJP is gaining ground in a state where they've traditionally been weak. The 110-seat increase in 5 years is significant. But I'm more concerned about the rejected nominations and unopposed wins. Democracy works best when everyone gets a fair chance. Good to see the opposition raising these issues though.
Arey bhai, 'saffron surge loading' - nice punchline by Malviya! But honestly, Punjab ke log bahut smart hain. They know local body elections are about local issues, not national politics. BJP's increase is good but 169 out of 1977 is still less than 10%. Let's not celebrate too early. AAP winning 945 despite all allegations shows they still have support. The real story? Congress and SAD need serious revival plans! 🏏
The numbers tell a clear story: anti-incumbency is hitting AAP hard. 945 seats for a ruling party with all the advantages is not impressive. The allegations of rejected nominations and unopposed elections are concerning. BJP's rise from 59 to 169 is notable but they need to work harder in a state that has traditionally resisted them. Punjab needs better governance, not just political drama.
R We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.