Daijiworld Media Network - Mohali

Mohali, Dec 18: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged as the single largest party by securing a majority in the Panchayat Samiti elections across Mohali district, the results of which were declared on Wednesday. However, the outcome also reflected a fragmented mandate at the grassroots level, with other major parties making significant inroads.

Elections were held on December 14 for 52 Panchayat Samiti seats across three blocks — Dera Bassi (22 seats), Kharar (15) and Majri (15). A total of 206 candidates contested the polls.

Out of the 52 seats, AAP won 24, followed by the Congress with 14 seats and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with 12 seats, while two seats were bagged by independent candidates.

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said the counting process began at 8 am and was conducted peacefully and transparently, concluding without any untoward incident.

Block-wise results showed mixed trends. In Kharar, AAP won seven of the 15 seats, Congress secured five, SAD two, and one seat went to an independent. Majri proved to be the strongest block for SAD, which won eight seats, while AAP secured five, Congress one and an independent candidate one. In Dera Bassi, AAP registered its best performance, winning 12 of the 22 seats, while Congress won eight and SAD two.

The overall voter turnout in the district stood at 54.93 per cent. Majri recorded the highest turnout at 56.86 per cent, followed by Dera Bassi at 56.31 per cent, while Kharar saw a comparatively lower turnout of 49.95 per cent.

Beyond seat share, vote count figures underlined AAP’s strong presence in the district. Of the 1,16,851 valid votes polled, AAP secured the highest vote share with 35,033 votes. SAD followed with 30,115 votes, while Congress garnered 29,571 votes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contesting independently in Punjab for the first time in these polls, secured 13,048 votes but failed to open its account in terms of seats.

Political observers noted a significant shift in Mohali’s political equations over the past five years. While the Congress had dominated the 2020 Mohali Municipal Corporation elections by winning 38 of 50 seats, AAP managed just eight seats at the time. The scenario changed dramatically in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, when AAP swept all three Assembly segments in the district.

With the Mohali Municipal Corporation elections scheduled for February 2026, the Panchayat Samiti results are being viewed as a key indicator of ground-level political realities. Party leaders pointed out that SAD’s improved vote share and seat tally suggest a multi-cornered contest in the run-up to the civic polls.

Mohali AAP MLA Kulwant Singh said the verdict reflected growing public confidence in the party. “AAP’s victory shows that people trust our vision for Punjab. The party’s strength is steadily increasing, and we are confident of performing well in the upcoming civic body elections as well,” he said.

Senior BJP leader Vineet Joshi said the party’s independent foray had yielded encouraging results. “Earlier, BJP contested elections in alliance with SAD. Despite contesting independently for the first time, our vote share is promising. We campaigned extensively in villages and received good support. The party is regaining strength and we are hopeful of improved results in future elections in Mohali,” he said.