After setback in Assembly bypolls, Congress gears up for Punjab civic body polls

The party has been holding meetings with screening committees to allocate tickets based on merit, with preparations described as being in full swing. State Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring says the party is focused on selecting strong, committed candidates to serve the people and ensure good governance.

Senior leaders, including Warring, have been holding meetings to select candidates for the upcoming polls, especially since the nominations are already being accepted by the state election commission and the last date for filing papers is December 12.

Overall, while the Congress appears ready and confident, the political landscape suggests a complex scenario in the backdrop of the summoning of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders by the Akal Takht, the punishments meted out to them, the attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal, and the late lifting of the paddy crop, which affects the economic cycle in small towns and cities.

Congress performance in previous polls

In 2021, the Congress won all eight municipal corporations: Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Abohar, Batala, Pathankot, Mohali, and Moga. Out of 109 municipal councils and Nagar panchayats, the Congress won 78 on its own and secured 20 more with the support of independents, totalling 98 victories. The swing in favour of the Congress in comparison to the 2015 municipal elections in Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Moga and Pathankot districts was evident by the fact that from 11 seats during those polls, the Congress improved its tally to 149 in 2021.

These results indicated a significant dominance by the Congress in the urban local bodies of Punjab. The AAP, then in Opposition, did put up a fight but did not win any significant number of seats in most municipal bodies, and the SAD, contesting alone after parting ways with the BJP, saw a reduced influence.

The then chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, had said the Congress’s victory was not just a validation of his government’s development-oriented policies and programmes but also a total rejection of the anti-people actions of the major Opposition parties, namely the SAD, the AAP and the BJP.

Stating that these were the first major polls to be held in Punjab since the enactment of the farm laws, Amarinder had said the results also underscored people’s angst with the BJP, which was responsible for the anti-farmer legislation with the active support of its former ally, the SAD, and the collusion of the ruling AAP in Delhi.

However, before the year ended, Amarinder faced a revolt within his party, led by Navjot Singh Sidhu, and was removed as chief minister. He then floated his ownpolitical outfit. In 2022, after the Congress had been handed a crushing defeat by AAP in the Assembly polls, he merged his Punjab Lok Congress with the BJP.

With the ruling parties having a track record of doing well on local body polls ranging from panchayats to municipal corporations, the Congress is hoping to put up a good fight and come up with decent numbers.