Chandigarh, May 26
Punjab’s municipal elections descended into chaos on Tuesday as large scale violence erupted across several districts, leaving candidates injured, booths disrupted and political parties blaming the ruling AAP over the collapse of law and order.
According to reports the civic polls were marred by widespread violence and allegations of booth capturing, voter intimidation and bogus voting.
In Raikot (Ludhiana), Congress candidate Jagdev Singh Jagga was attacked with swords by alleged AAP supporters, sustaining serious injuries that required emergency surgery at Ludhiana’s DMC Hospital. The incident sent shockwaves through the political landscape, with Congress leaders calling it an “attack on democracy.”
Clashes were also reported in Khanna, where heated arguments between Congress and AAP workers spiraled into physical confrontations, forcing police intervention. In Moga, rival groups fought outside a polling booth overcrowding, while Barnala witnessed allegations of fake voting. BJP candidate Deepinder Kaur’s husband claimed he was assaulted with a sharp weapon.
In Mansa, panic spread when a candidate’s bouncer allegedly entered a polling booth carrying a pistol. Faridkot saw AAP MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon accusing BJP of ferrying voters in an Army school bus, while Akali Dal leaders alleged AAP was distributing money to influence voters. Bathinda witnessed firing incidents, according to SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, while in Abohar police detained four youths in a Haryana registered vehicle with an NSUI plate, raising suspicion of outside interference.
The violence quickly spilled onto social media, where leaders of all major parties voiced outrage. Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the Raikot attack, tweeting that “gangsters and political goons are roaming freely under Bhagwant Mann’s watch.” Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Randhawa termed the incident “an attack on democracy” and urged the Election Commission to act. SAD’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal alleged that AAP had turned the polls into “violent confrontations,” citing firing in Bathinda. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar accused the ruling party of “undermining democracy” and claimed BJP candidates were being systematically sidelined.
The State Election Commission confirmed receiving complaints of booth capturing and voter intimidation, promising additional security deployment. Senior police officials admitted the situation was volatile but assured that reinforcements were being rushed to sensitive areas.
With turnout figures still being compiled, the clashes have already cast a shadow over the credibility of the municipal polls. Observers note that the unrest highlights Punjab’s increasingly fraught political climate, where local contests are seen as proxy battles for larger state level stakes.
