Punjab Civic Polls Turn Stormy as 713 Nominations Rejected, Opposition Cries Foul

With Punjab heading into a crucial round of civic elections, the scrutiny process has triggered a major political controversy after 713 nomination papers were rejected across various municipal bodies in the state, prompting sharp protests and allegations from opposition parties.

Election officials said that a total of 10,809 nominations had been filed for the upcoming local body polls. Following scrutiny, authorities rejected hundreds of applications over procedural discrepancies and documentation issues.

Of the rejected nominations, 151 were linked to municipal corporations , 447 to municipal councils , and 115 to Nagar Panchayats .

However, the large-scale rejection has now snowballed into a political flashpoint, with opposition parties accusing the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of attempting to weaken rivals ahead of polling day.

Leaders from the Congress , BJP , and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) staged protests in several districts, including Barnala, Malout, Bathinda, and Muktsar , alleging that nominations of strong opposition candidates were deliberately targeted during scrutiny.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar accused the state government of “subverting democracy” and claimed opposition candidates were selectively disqualified in key urban constituencies. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh described the rejections as a “calculated conspiracy” aimed at reducing the BJP’s presence in the civic contest.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also attacked the government, alleging misuse of the administrative machinery to influence the election process. Meanwhile, senior SAD leaders claimed several candidates faced hurdles in obtaining required documents and clearances before filing nominations.

In Barnala , opposition workers from the Congress, BJP, and SAD jointly demonstrated outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office after the rejection of a BJP candidate’s nomination reportedly sparked outrage among party supporters.

The ruling AAP , however, rejected the allegations of political interference. Party leaders maintained that election officials acted independently and that scrutiny was carried out strictly according to electoral rules and procedures.

Polling for 105 municipal bodies across Punjab will be held on May 26 , while counting of votes is scheduled for May 29 .

The elections cover eight municipal corporations, Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala, and Pathankot , along with 76 municipal councils and 21 Nagar Panchayats .

With campaigning entering its final phase, the controversy surrounding rejected nominations has added fresh intensity to what is already shaping up to be a fiercely contested urban electoral battle in Punjab.