Chandigarh, Dec 3: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday named 961 candidates for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Punjab, calling the local body polls a crucial step toward the 2027 Assembly race.
Elections across 22 Zila Parishads—except Mohali, where voting has been deferred—and more than 150 Panchayat Samitis are set for December 14, with votes to be counted on December 17.
Party insiders said AAP is treating the polls as a performance check. “These results will matter when we decide Assembly tickets,” a senior AAP functionary said, adding that leaders have been asked to “prove their organisational strength on the ground.”
With the next Assembly election just 15 months away and signs of anti-incumbency emerging, the ruling party has intensified its mobilisation. Ministers and MLAs have been active in their constituencies since the announcement of the polls on November 28, while AAP recently restructured most block-level units to tighten its grip in rural areas.
Candidates have until December 4 to file nominations. By Tuesday, 26 nomination papers had been filed for Zila Parishad seats and 115 for the Panchayat Samiti contests.
Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari issued a show-cause notice to Dera Bassi BDPO Baljit Singh Sohi, saying he was absent from duty on December 1, the first day of nominations. “Candidates could not get their NOCs because the officer was missing,” Chaudhari said.
