Pre-poll tensions not new in Punjab as past rural elections show a recurring pattern of clashes and irregularities

Even as the controversy plays out, SSP Varun Sharma proceeded on a week’s leave on Wednesday, and Sangrur SSP Sartaj Singh Chahal has been given additional charge of Patiala.

Punjab will vote for 357 zila parishad constituencies across 23 districts and 2,863 panchayat samiti constituencies across 154 blocks. Polling will be held on December 14, while counting is scheduled for December 17. These polls follow a two-year delay, as the last elections were held in September 2018 and were originally scheduled for 2023.

This year’s pre-poll period has seen reports of snatching and tearing of nomination papers, allegations of blocking candidates from entering nomination centres, and claims of threats against rival candidates. However, this is not the first time that rural local body polls in Punjab have seen accusations of intimidation and misuse of the administrative set-up.

A look at the last four elections—2018, 2013, 2008 and 2002—shows a clear pattern of disputes, clashes and irregularities surfacing well before polling day.

2018: gunfire outside SDM office

The September 2018 zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls were held a year and a half after the Congress, led by Capt Amarinder Singh, came to power in March 2017. The Congress registered a decisive victory, winning 331 of 353 zila parishad seats (about 94 per cent) and 2,351 of 2,899 panchayat samiti seats (approximately 81 per cent).

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP managed only a handful of seats: the SAD won around 18 zila parishad seats, the BJP 2, and Independents a few. In the panchayat samiti category, the SAD won 353 seats, the BJP 63, and the AAP 20, with a few going to Independents.

But these polls, too, were clouded by pre-poll violence and obstruction. On the final day of filing nominations, September 7, 2018, gunfire was reported outside the SDM office in Patti (near Tarn Taran). An unidentified assailant opened fire, injuring two policemen and another person. The firing reportedly occurred as Opposition supporters attempted to enter the office to submit nomination papers; both the Congress and the SAD accused each other of triggering the violence.

On the same day in Batala, Inderjeet Singh Randhawa, who was a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at the time and the elder brother of then Punjab Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, was injured, along with over a dozen SAD workers, during an alleged stone-pelting incident involving party workers outside the nomination center.

In Dharamkot (Moga), one Congress worker suffered a bullet injuruy due to alleged firing by SAD workersinjured due to a bullet injury allegedly fired by SAD workers. There was stone pelting between the two parties’ workers on nomination filing day as well.

Across multiple districts, Opposition parties, primarily the SAD and the BJP, claimed that their candidates were being prevented from filing nominations. The SAD alleged that a “large number” of its papers were rejected on dubious grounds. In the Moga region (near Dharamkot), clashes were reported between Congress and SAD supporters during the nomination period and campaign phase.

Across multiple districts, Opposition parties, primarily the SAD and the BJP, claimed that their candidates were being prevented from filing nominations. The SAD alleged that a “large number” of its papers were rejected on dubious grounds. In the Moga region (near Dharamkot), clashes were reported between Congress and SAD supporters during the nomination period and campaign phase.

2013: Scuffle between SAD and Congress workers

The May 2013 zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections were held a year after the SAD-BJP government returned to power in Punjab. The ruling alliance swept the polls, winning over 250 of the 333 zila parishad seats and more than 2,500 of the 2,732 panchayat samiti seats. The combine secured clear majorities in 14 of 22 zila parishads and 89 of 146 panchayat samitis, with nearly 300 candidates elected unopposed.

However, the campaign period was marked by intense allegations and clashes. In the Lambi constituency, then represented by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, violent scuffles broke out between SAD and Congress workers outside nomination centres, particularly in the Mann village. Violence continued even on polling day. Media reports highlighted clashes between mobs, attempts to block entry to filing centres, and repeated police intervention to restore normalcy.

In the Patiala district, several pockets witnessed nomination-day tension, with allegations that party workers blocked access to returning officer offices, tore papers, and threatened rival supporters. Similar complaints came from Moga and parts of Ferozepur, where opposition leaders accused ruling-party cadres of intimidation during the filing process.

2008: Congress alleges rigging

In May 2008, the SAD-BJP alliance, which had come to power after the 2007 Assembly elections, delivered a sweeping win in the rural polls. The alliance secured 299 of 329 zila parishad seats and 2,122 of 2,739 panchayat samiti seats, while the Congress managed only 26 zila parishad seats and 454 panchayat samiti seats. Gram panchayat polls were held within the same week.

The pre-poll phase, however, was turbulent—most notably in Faridkot district, where the Congress boycotted the elections altogether. The party alleged widespread intimidation by officials and “muscle-men” allegedly linked to the ruling SAD.

On the eve of nomination filing, Congress workers claimed they were harassed, and soon after, six of 10 Congress zila parishad nominations in Faridkot were rejected. In the Kot Kapura block samiti, 14 of 16 Congress-backed nominations were rejected, compared to the usual 3–4 per cent rejection rates elsewhere in Punjab.

The Congress demanded cancellation of the polls or re-elections, and soon after polling on May 12, 2008, the party announced the creation of a “watchdog” or observer squad (May 17, 2008) to document alleged rigging and misuse of state machinery.

2002: Nomination filing in police presence

In 2002, after the Congress formed the government in February, the zila parishad and block samiti polls were held in June 2002. The Congress ultimately won these elections. However, pre-poll tensions were reported across multiple villages in Bathinda, particularly in the Maluka village, where the police were deployed during nomination filing to ensure candidates could enter the centres without obstruction.