The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab on Thursday asserted that their victory in the ‘zila parishad and ‘block samiti elections’ was an endorsement of its governance, whereas the Opposition parties accused AAP of misusing power in the build-up to the polls.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the party’s win by securing over 70% of seats reflected people’s trust in the government.
“The results so far show that AAP has almost swept rural Punjab. It feels as if there is a very strong wave in favour of AAP. Around 70% of the seats in both the zila parishads and the block samitis have been won by AAP. This is a very big thing,” Mr. Kejriwal said at a press conference in Mohali.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann emphasised that the “hue and cry of the Opposition was baseless”. “The results reflect that the entire process of election was transparent, free and fair,” he said.
‘Rigging in election’
Hitting out at AAP, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, “AAP was basking in the stolen glory. Even AAP leadership knows and realises that it is a stolen victory.”
“Everyone knows how these elections were fought and how the administration and police were misused like in the previous byelection,” he added.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh alleged that the AAP government resorted to blatant misuse of power, stating that democratic norms were openly crushed.
Shiromani Akali Dal leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Arshdeep Singh Kler have also accused AAP of rigging the elections by using force.
Published – December 19, 2025 12:34 am IST
