Congress Gains Ground in Ropar Panchayat Elections Despite AAP Lead

The recent panchayat elections in Punjab have revealed a significant political shift, particularly in Ropar district. While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) maintains a statewide lead in the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, the Congress party has emerged victorious in five of the ten zila parishad seats and secured 50 out of 93 panchayat samiti seats in Ropar.

In the elections, AAP won the remaining five zila parishad seats and 37 panchayat samiti seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) claimed four panchayat samiti seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took two. Notably, Congress achieved a clean sweep in the Chamkaur Sahib block, winning all 15 panchayat samiti zones. In Morinda, the party also dominated, winning all 16 zones of the panchayat samiti along with three zila parishad seats.

In the Ropar block, AAP led with seven panchayat samiti seats, while Congress secured six and SAD two. Meanwhile, in Nangal, AAP won ten zones compared to Congress’s five. These election results suggest a complex political landscape in Punjab, where local dynamics continue to play a crucial role.

Charanjit Singh Channi, the former chief minister and Congress leader, accused AAP of electoral malpractice during the campaign. He claimed that AAP printed an additional 100 fake ballot papers per polling booth, pre-marked in their favor. He alleged that booth-level officers were involved in stuffing these papers into ballot boxes and intimidating opposition candidates, particularly in Morinda.

AAP has firmly rejected these allegations. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann described Channi’s statements as an admission of Congress’s defeat and dismissed the claims as baseless.

The political significance of these elections is underscored by the context of the assembly representation in Ropar district. The Chamkaur Sahib assembly segment is currently represented by Dr. Charanjit Singh of AAP, who defeated Charanjit Singh Channi in the 2022 assembly elections. AAP also holds the remaining two assembly segments in the district, with Dinesh Chadha representing Ropar and Harjot Bains, a minister, in Anandpur Sahib.

These election results are seen by Congress leaders as a rejection of AAP’s governance. The political tensions are further highlighted by past controversies surrounding Dr. Charanjit Singh, who faced backlash during a protest in November over rumored mergers of villages with Ropar. His dismissive remarks towards protesters, referring to them as “10th pass,” sparked significant outrage.

As the political landscape continues to evolve in Punjab, the outcome of these panchayat elections could have lasting implications for both Congress and AAP, as they navigate the challenges of governance and public sentiment in the region.