After AAP and Congress, Independents emerge as Punjab third force in civic polls

The result was significant because Rana Inder Partap had himself won the 2022 Assembly election as an Independent in the middle of the AAP wave. The civic verdict reaffirmed his ability to sustain a political base outside the framework of major parties.

The victory of independents also reflected simmering factional battles within parties, particularly over ticket distribution. In Bathinda, AAP MLA Jagroop Singh Gill publicly questioned the party’s selection process and openly backed candidates identified with his camp. Several wards witnessed contests that were effectively battles between rival groups within the ruling party. Ramanjit Kaur, a kin of Jagroop Gill, was among the Independent winners.

In Bathinda’s Kotfatta, where AAP MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta has been sidelined, seven independents won the elections while three seats went to AAP and one to SAD. Similar was the case in Goniana municipal council, where eight independents were declared winner out of 15 seats with AAP wresting only 5 and SAD winning only two. In Tapa Mandi municipal council also, independents won eight wards while AAP and SAD had to make do with five and two respectively. Bathinda district witnessed rebellion by AAP MLA Jagroop Singh Gill over choice of candidates. The issue had crept up in AAP incharge Manish Sisodia’s organisational meeting in Ludhiana, where Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Sisodia had a verbal duel over choice of candidates.

The Independent presence was visible across the state. In Moga Municipal Corporation, Independents won seven wards. Barnala Municipal Corporation elected five Independent councillors, while Mansa Municipal Council returned five Independents. In Patti municipal council too, Independents emerged as an influential bloc.

Independent candidates emerged as key players in municipal bodies in Mansa, with fractured verdicts leaving no political party with a clear majority and making post-poll alliances crucial for the election of chairpersons. The independents secured 35 seats across the municipal councils of Mansa, Budhlada and Bareta and the Nagar Panchayats of Joga and Boha.

In the 27-member Mansa municipal council, the AAP won eight wards, followed by the BJP with six, SAD with five, Congress with three and Independents with five. With the majority mark at 14, no party is in a position to form the board on its own, leaving independents in a pivotal position.

A similar situation has emerged in the 19-member Budhlada municipal council where AAP secured seven seats, SAD five, Congress two, BSP one and Independents four. The verdict means support from independents could prove decisive in the election of the council president.

The most striking outcome came from Bareta Municipal Council, where 11 of the 13 wards were won by independent candidates, leaving AAP with only two seats. Independents are now set to dominate the formation of the municipal board.

In Joga Nagar Panchayat, independents won eight of the 13 wards while AAP secured five. At Boha Nagar Panchayat, independents captured seven seats, with AAP and SAD winning three each.

The results indicate that while major political parties remain contenders, local factors and candidate-specific support played a significant role in several urban bodies. In at least four of the five civic bodies, independents either enjoy a majority on their own or hold the balance of power, placing them at the centre of negotiations for the posts of chairpersons and other key positions.

The large Independent tally came amid widespread resentment over party nominations. More than 7,500 candidates contested the elections and many aspirants entered the fray after being denied tickets by AAP, Congress, SAD and BJP. The rebellions turned several wards into multi-cornered contests and dented the prospects of official nominees in a number of places.

In Kapurthala district, the Rana family emerged as one of the few exceptions to the broader AAP surge. While Rana Inder Partap’s backed candidates secured control of the Sultanpur Lodhi municipal council, his father Rana Gurjit Singh led the Congress to a commanding performance in Kapurthala Municipal Corporation, where the party won 31 of the 50 wards.

While AAP’s sweep dominated the headlines, the Independents’ tally of 251 wards highlighted the continued relevance of local political networks and dissident leaders in Punjab’s urban politics. In several municipal bodies, Independents now hold enough seats to influence the composition and functioning of local administrations.

There are several local bodies where independents hold the key for the single largest party to form the council. In Patti municipal council in Tarn Taran, out of 19 wards, the Congress has turned out to be the largest single party by winning nine seats but is far from the figure of 10 seats for the post of president. The AAP has won 6 seats and independents have won four seats.

The Congress and AAP will have to depend on independent candidates to make the president. If AAP gets the support of four independents, then they become their president and Congress needs only one vote. All four independent candidates are from former SAD minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon faction and if they have to support any party, Kairon has to take a call.

Similarly, in Mukerian municipal council elections, BJP has won seven seats, Congress has wrested six and AAP has secured one ward. Independent candidate Bibi Surjit Kaur has won one seat. Both AAP and independent candidates hold the key.

Rana Gurjit said, “It is difficult for an independent, without the flag of a political party, to win. For making independents victorious, one needs strong cadre, support from sarpanches and panches, black and zila parishads. After the election, it is difficult to retain them. There are many pulls and pressures especially by the ruling party. Some succumb to that pressure. However, Rana Inder has been fighting for them even till the Supreme Court. In Sultanpur Lodhi, it will be Rana Inder’s independents, who will form the council.”