Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday said that the Congress party had secured a win in the municipal elections by "resorting to state sponsored repression". SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema, in a written statement, said that “it seems the civil machinery and the Punjab Police has won the day for the Congress along with equal help from the State Election Commission (SEC). More than 500 nomination papers of SAD candidates alone were rejected along with a couple of hundred of other parties in an attempt to make the entire election process a nomination process. This alone calls for sacking of the SEC. Cheema lauded Akali workers for "asserting themselves boldly and ensuring that SAD emerged as the main opposition to the corrupt and incompetent Congress party”. He said: "SAD has emerged as the principal opposition party in Punjab post municipal elections despite going alone for the first time." Cheema added, "The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been completely eradicated in the state..SAD candidates gave a tough fight to the Congress across the state with almost all seats witnessing a direct contest between the Congress and SAD. The vote share of the SAD has also increased in urban areas”. According to the SAD leader, "in direct contrast, AAP had been pushed to the fringes of Punjab politics. AAP has secured the number four position in elections to the municipal corporations.”
