As Punjab went to polls on Tuesday for crucial municipal elections, Arvind Kejriwal appealed to voters across the state to participate in large numbers, stressing that voting is a vital democratic responsibility. In his message on social media platform X, Kejriwal described the vote as a “strength in democracy” and urged citizens to use it to shape governance and improve public welfare at the local level. His appeal came as polling began across hundreds of civic bodies under tight security arrangements, reflecting the political significance of the exercise ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

Voting was conducted across a wide network of urban local bodies, with elections being held for councillors in 1,896 wards spread across eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils, and 20 nagar panchayats. Authorities confirmed that polling began smoothly in the morning at 8 a.m., with no major disruptions reported at the start of the process. Officials said voters started arriving early at polling stations, indicating strong public engagement. The State Election Commission deployed large-scale security arrangements, including around 32,000 police personnel and nearly 35,000 election staff, to ensure peaceful and orderly polling across the state.

The eight municipal corporations where voting is taking place include Abohar, Mohali, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Batala, Kapurthala, and Pathankot. According to official figures, more than 35.45 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots, with voting scheduled to continue until 5 p.m. The electorate comprises over 18.33 lakh male voters, 17.11 lakh female voters, and 220 voters registered under the “other” category. Election authorities said the scale of participation reflects the importance of local governance bodies in addressing civic issues and development needs across Punjab’s urban regions.

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A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting in the elections, representing multiple political parties and independent groups. The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded 1,801 candidates, followed by 1,550 from the Congress, 1,316 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 1,251 from the Shiromani Akali Dal, and 96 from the Bahujan Samaj Party. In addition, 1,528 independent candidates and 13 others are also in the fray, making the elections highly competitive at the grassroots level. Political observers say the results will serve as a key indicator of public sentiment in urban constituencies ahead of future state-level elections.

Ahead of polling day, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation challenging the State Election Commission’s decision to conduct voting using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines. The court observed that the decision could not be considered illegal merely because it was communicated through an administrative order. Officials said the use of ballot papers in municipal elections is part of established electoral procedures in certain jurisdictions and does not affect the validity of the democratic process. As voting continues across the state, authorities remain focused on ensuring transparency, security, and smooth conduct of the electoral exercise.

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