Why repolls in 50 Punjab civic bodies put AAP under a cloud before 2027 vote
With less than five months left for the Assembly elections in Punjab, the Supreme Court’s order for repolling in 50 municipal wards in Patiala and Moga after the fact-finding Commission appointed by it found multiple violations there in the December 2024 local body polls, has put the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the line of fresh fire from the Opposition parties.
The Commission found rival candidates of the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) being forcibly prevented from filing nomination papers, illegal detention of candidates by police, nomination papers being snatched and torn in police presence, intimidation, and bogus voting in 50 wards, which were swept by the AAP candidates.
The repolls will cover 28 of the 60 wards of the Patiala Municipal Corporation, all 15 wards of Baghapurana Municipal Council and 7 of the 13 wards of Dharamkot Municipal Council. Baghapurana and Dharamkot are in Moga district.
With the apex court directing that the repolls be completed within six weeks, the leading contenders have set the ball rolling to pick their candidates and firm up their campaign strategies.
All major Opposition parties had mounted the legal battle in the matter. The court’s ruling has handed them a major issue against the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government on the eve of the Assembly elections.
Patiala civic body row
“The case started in Patiala when our sitting councillor Seema Sharma was contesting again from ward number 32. Her clothes were torn and her nomination papers were snatched by AAP workers. We then decided to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” alleged Vijay Kuka, BJP’s Patiala district president, who himself contested from ward number 50.
The Congress and the Akali Dal also approached the high court, which stayed elections in seven wards, including ward number 32, before the December 21, 2024 polling date.
“We subsequently approached the Supreme Court and are grateful that repolling has now been ordered in 28 wards,” said Mohit Mohindra, senior Congress leader from Patiala.
Kuka alleged that he was also targeted by the AAP workers during the nomination process.
Seema Sharma alleged,”They had torn my clothes and snatched my nomination papers. Many other women were also manhandled. We were not even allowed to reach the returning officers’ offices.”
In the 60-member Patiala corporation, the AAP won 15 wards unopposed and secured victory in 35 of the 45 wards where polling took place, taking its tally to 50.
Of the 28 wards now headed for repolls, 25 had been won by the AAP, two by the BJP and one by the Congress.
Patiala Mayor Kundan Gogia, however, said the AAP was ready for another electoral contest. “We are ready for repolling if it has been ordered by the Supreme Court. We will again win and make a clean sweep. Development will be our poll plank,” he said.
Moga results under scanner
The top court has ordered repolling in all 15 wards of the Baghapurana Municipal Counil and 7 of 13 wards of the Dharamkot Municipal Council.
In these civic bodies, too, the Opposition alleged that their candidates were prevented from joining the fray, resulting in the AAP nominees being elected unopposed in all 22 wards.
“No one was allowed to file nomination papers. It was difficult even to walk up to the nomination offices,” alleged Shamsher Singh, the Moga BJP general secretary.
In Dharamkot, Congress candidate Inderpreet Bunty managed to file nomination papers under tight security after he moved the high court. However, his nomination papers were subsequently rejected.
“Although the councillors elected unopposed have been managing day-to-day affairs until now, repolling will now take place in all 15 wards of Baghapurana,” said Vijay Sharma, the BJP’s constituency in-charge for Baghapurana.
The SAD has also accused the AAP and the local administration of “obstructing” its candidates during the nomination process in Dharamkot.
“Many of our candidates were beaten up and were not allowed to file nomination papers. A fake queue of candidates was created ahead of genuine ones, preventing others from entering the nomination centre. The police also used force against our candidates,” alleged Barjinder Brar, the SAD’s constituency in-charge for Dharamkot.
Oppn eyes Assembly polls
The Opposition parties have hailed the top court’s verdict, describing it as a victory for the democratic rights.
“We had been saying from day one that the democratic process was seriously undermined during the Patiala Municipal Corporation elections. The fact-finding Commission’s inquiry and the Supreme Court’s orders have put the judicial stamp on our allegations. We are happy that the people of Patiala have finally received justice,” said Jai Inder Kaur, president of the Punjab BJP Mahila Morcha, who is the daughter of ex-chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
She said the AAP government should “learn a lesson from the episode”. “In a democracy, governments function on the basis of the people’s mandate, not through administrative high-handedness,” she said.
Senior Congress leader Mohit Mohindra also said, “It is indeed a historic step by the Supreme Court. Justice has prevailed. Congress had filed petitions with regard to poll violations in 27 wards of Patiala, out of which repolls have been ordered in 26 wards. The repolls will be a litmus test for AAP as well as us since the 2027 Assembly polls are round the corner.”
Amit Singh Rathi, the SAD’s Patiala district president, said: “My wife Kamaldeep Rathi was a contestant from ward number 14, where repoll has been ordered. We are geared for repolls and people are also ready for it.”
For the AAP, the repolls would be an opportunity to defend its track record and project development as its central plank ahead of the 2027 battle.
