Despite emerging as the single largest party in Punjab’s rural elections, the AAP has failed to secure a clear majority in nine of the 22 Zila Parishads, highlighting challenges for the ruling party.
AAP won 218 of the 357 Zila Parishad seats across the state. However, a closer examination of district-wise results shows that the party fell short of a simple majority in several key districts. While the SAD secured a clear majority in two Zila Parishads, Congress in one, AAP is tied with the Congress in Rupnagar and remains short by one to three seats in four other districts, indicating that it may have to depend on independents or rival parties to form Zila Parishad bodies.
In Ludhiana—the largest and politically most significant Zila Parishad with 25 seats—AAP won 11 seats, Congress eight, SAD three, while three independents backed by SAD rebel and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali also emerged victorious. With 13 seats required for a majority, Ayali’s three candidates are likely to play the role of kingmaker.
SAD posted strong results in Bathinda and Muktsar. In Bathinda, the party won 13 of the 17 Zila Parishad seats, while in Muktsar it secured seven of the 13 seats. “We will form the Zila Parishad Chairpersons in these districts. In Faridkot, we won five of the ten seats, while AAP got four and Congress one. We are short of just one seat there,” said senior SAD leader Parambans Bunty Romana.
In Ferozepur, AAP managed to win only four of the 14 Zila Parishad seats, while Congress won six, SAD two and independents two. With eight seats required for a majority, no party is in a position to form the Zila Parishad on its own. In Rupnagar, the Zila Parishad is evenly split, with AAP and Congress winning five seats each. In Pathankot, AAP won five seats, Congress one and BJP four, leaving the ruling party short of a majority.
In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Congress secured a clear majority by winning six of the ten Zila Parishad seats, while AAP won four. Kapurthala also produced a fractured verdict, with AAP winning four seats, Congress three, SAD one and independents two, who are now in a decisive position.
In the urban local body elections held last year, the party failed to win clear majorities in municipal corporations of Ludhiana, Phagwara, Amritsar and Jalandhar, forcing it to rely on independents and councillors from rival parties to elect mayors.
