Chandigarh, Jan 7: Punjab is likely to go to the polls for urban local bodies in February, with elections expected for nine municipal corporations and 116 nagar councils, officials said.
The elections are being seen as a crucial test of political strength in urban areas ahead of the 2027 state Assembly polls. Campaigns are expected to centre on issues such as civic governance, infrastructure, sanitation, employment and law and order.
Municipal corporation elections are due in Mohali, Hoshiarpur, Moga, Bathinda, Batala, Kapurthala, Abohar, Pathankot and the newly upgraded municipal corporation of Barnala.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party enters the contest after securing major gains in recent zila parishad and block samiti elections, which strengthened its presence at the grassroots level. However, urban elections pose a different challenge, particularly after the Bharatiya Janata Party performed strongly in several city segments during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP has already begun preparations to consolidate its urban base, while the civic elections will serve as a key test of governance and popularity for the AAP government. “It is a major election and the party is fully prepared,” an AAP leader said.
For opposition parties such as the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, the polls offer a chance to revive organisational morale and assess electoral strategies, with political observers noting that a poor performance could intensify internal churn.
Officials from the local bodies department said ward delimitation for all nine municipal corporations and 116 municipal committees has been completed and the proposal has been sent to the state election commission to initiate the election process.
