Farmers Movement Archive

Cong sweeps south Punjab, Akalis routed in Bathinda home turf

The ruling Congress is emerging as the winner in the civic body elections in south Punjab. The party is set to have its mayor in the high-stake municipal corporations of Bathinda and Abohar.The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was routed in its stronghold of Bathinda, where the local Congress legislator and state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal led an organised election campaign.In Bathinda, the Congress won 43 of the 50 wards that went to the polls on Sunday. It is for the first time in 53 years that the Congress has managed to win a majority in the municipality, which was the bastion of the Akalis earlier.For the last two consecutive terms, the Akalis were having their leaders as Bathinda mayor in support of their former political ally, the Bharatiya Janta Party.The BJP failed to win a single seat, whereas in the last elections, the party had eight councillors when it contested in alliance with the SAD.Congress wins 49 of 50 seats in AboharAfter sweeping 49 of the 50 seats, the Congress is set to get its first mayor in Abohar, the home turf of state Congress president Sunil Jakhar.Interestingly, the Abohar assembly segment is represented by the lone BJP MLA, Arun Narang, but the party has been routed as it faces a backlash in Punjab over the passage of the farm laws in Parliament.The Congress is leading in the civic bodies of Mansa, Moga, Muktsar and Ferozepur districts.The Aam Aadmi Party won two seats in Fazilika municipality and one in Jalalabad.

Hindustan Times

17-02-2021

Chandigarh