Punjab civic polls: SAD, BJP face strength of Independents

In Pathankot, the BJP carried the day with the Akalis failing to win a single ward in the 50-member corporation.
While SAD-BJP won the municipal council elections Wednesday, the municipal corporation results, too, have put them on top position numerically.

In contrast, the principal opposition party in the state, Congress, which faced a rout in the municipal councils, performed somewhat better even as it failed to capture any corporation.

As it has happened in municipal and nagar panchayat elections, Independents put up an impressive show in municipal corporation elections, too. As many as 64 Independents won in the corporation elections compared to 82 of the SAD, 84 of BJP and 68 of the Congress.

The results are a surprise as the ruling party usually has an edge in civic body elections where local issues dominate and often it is the party in power that makes a clean sweep.

The march of Independents could also be attributed to bickering over seat distribution between SAD and BJP before the elections. The two parties had even contested against each other at three places. In all three contests, SAD managed to retain a lead over its alliance partner even if by a thin margin, making it clear that the strength of the two parties lay in contesting as a team rather than going separate ways.

Besides, there had been widespread dissidence in the two parties in the run-up to the elections and many rebel candidates had chosen not to withdraw from the fray even when threatened with expulsion.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not contest, claiming it did not have enough time to prepare for the polls after the Delhi Assembly elections. At several places, however, Independent candidates claimed they had the AAP’s backing.