Chandigarh, May 25 (IANS) Whatever may be the outcome of the ongoing elections to 105 local bodies, including eight Municipal Corporations, 76 Municipal Councils and 21 Nagar Panchayats in Punjab, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) believes that it is rapidly emerging as one of the strongest political forces in the state and is steadily expanding its footprint in both urban and rural regions.

The transformation in the BJP’s position in Punjab politics between the February 2021 local body elections and the current May 2026 civic polls has been dramatic, a senior BJP functionary told IANS on Monday, a day ahead of the municipal and local body polls.

In 2021, the party faced protests across several parts of Punjab and even struggled to field candidates in many areas.

In sharp contrast, he said, the current elections witnessed enthusiastic participation from aspiring BJP candidates, with people lining up to seek party tickets, while no protests against BJP candidates were reported anywhere in the state.

The BJP fielded 1,226 candidates for Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections and 367 candidates for the eight Municipal Corporation elections, reflecting the party’s rapidly growing organisational strength and acceptance among the people of Punjab.

Importantly, the BJP’s growing support is no longer limited to urban Punjab.

Rural Punjab too has shown increasing acceptance of the party, as evident from the complete absence of protests against BJP candidates during the Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections held in December 2025, said the BJP leader.

“The peaceful participation of BJP candidates throughout the ongoing civic elections signals a significant political shift in Punjab. It indicates that voters are increasingly viewing the BJP as a serious and viable political alternative capable of playing a decisive role in the state’s future politics,” he added.

The State Election Commission said 7,555 candidates are in the fray for the municipal elections.

A total of 1,801 candidates are from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 1,550 from the Congress, 1,316 from the BJP, 1,251 from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), 96 candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 1,528 Independents, and 13 other candidates for the municipal elections.

–IANS

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