Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, 26 May 2025 urged voters across Punjab to exercise their franchise as the state went to polls in high-stakes municipal elections covering 1,896 wards across eight corporations, 75 municipal councils, and 20 nagar panchayats. The elections are widely seen as a bellwether ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for early 2027.

Kejriwal's Appeal to Voters

In a post on X, Kejriwal wrote: 'I request all voters to definitely exercise their right to vote in the ongoing municipal elections in Punjab. Your vote is your strength in democracy… It resolves your small and big problems and determines the well-being of your entire family.' The appeal came as polling stations opened at 8 AM, with electors arriving even before voting officially commenced. Voting was scheduled to close at 5 PM.

Scale of Polling and Security Arrangements

A total of 35.45 lakh voters — comprising 18,33,712 male voters, 17,11,635 women voters, and 220 voters registered under the 'other' category — were eligible to participate. The State Election Commission deployed approximately 32,000 police personnel alongside nearly 35,000 election staff to ensure peaceful and fair polling. According to a state electoral officer, there were no reports of any delay in the commencement of the poll process.

Candidates and Corporations in the Fray

A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting across the state. Of these, 1,801 belong to the AAP, 1,550 to the Indian National Congress (Congress), 1,316 to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 1,251 to the Shiromani Akali Dal, and 96 to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). An additional 1,528 Independent candidates and 13 others are also in the running. The eight municipal corporations holding polls are Abohar, Mohali, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Batala, Kapurthala, and Pathankot.

High Court Upholds Ballot Paper Voting

Ahead of polling day, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation that challenged the Election Commission's decision to conduct the elections using ballot papers rather than Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry rejected the plea, observing that the shift from EVM-VVPAT to ballot papers could not be deemed illegal solely because it was effected through an administrative communication.

Political Stakes

This is the first major electoral test for AAP in Punjab since it swept the 2022 Assembly elections with a historic majority. The results will offer an early read on public sentiment toward the ruling party's governance record at the local level — and set the tone for the assembly contest that follows. Notably, the multi-cornered fight, with over 1,500 Independents in the mix, could fragment votes and complicate seat projections for all major parties. Results are expected to be declared after counting concludes.