AAP National Coordinator Arvind Kejriwal sent a message of gratitude to the people of Punjab on Friday after the state’s ruling party won a huge majority in urban local bodies that went to the polls earlier in the week. As the results came in late on Friday evening, the former Delhi chief minister asserted that a “stunning” victory had been achieved in urban Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party’s main focus ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled early next year.
“By casting this historic vote, people praised the work of the Bhagwant Mann government. We will continue to do good work in the same way in the future,” Kejriwal said in Hindi on Channel X.
Apparently using the term “Democracy Party” to refer to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre, he said it had been erased.
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“The ED party harassed people by conducting raids on small traders in Punjab; people took revenge today,” he said, referring to the alleged misuse of the Central Investigation Agency’s Enforcement Directorate in recent times, including against AAP MPs, MLAs and ministers. The AAP even blamed the “misuse” of the ED by the Narendra Modi government for the defection of its leaders, such as the Raghav Chadha-led group of seven Rajya Sabha MPs. Or they are sent to prisons, like Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora.
By 7:30 pm on Friday, the AAP had won about 900 of the 1,757 constituencies counted, out of a total of 1,977 constituencies that went to the polls on May 26. The main opposition party’s Congress came in a distant second with about 350 constituencies or seats.
Voters cast their votes in 102 municipal bodies, including eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats.
These included, at the top level, eight municipal corporations: Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Bathala and Pathankot.
Voter turnout was 63.94%. A total of 7,554 candidates competed in the elections.
The results are important for all major parties as the state may see a multi-party contest next year, including AAP, BJP, Congress and SAD.
