The Congress party Wednesday made a clean sweep of Punjab’s seven municipal corporations in the state-local body polls.
According to a report by NDTV, the party bagged all the bodies for which the results were declared today: Moga, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Abohar, Pathankot, Batala, and Bathinda – the last one also being the most stunning result of the day as it was after 53 years that the city was returning to the Congress fold. Mohali’s results will be declared only tomorrow.
The Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency is represented by Harsimrat Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which only recently parted ways with long-time ally BJP following the unrest kicked up among the state’s farmers by the Centre’s three new farm laws.
The emerging scenario may be perceived as a huge setback for the BJP since it was seen as an urban voter base party and had been in alliance with the SAD until outraged farmers of the states changed the dynamics over the past few months.
Up to 109 municipal councils and nagar panchayats and seven municipal corporations went to the polls on 14 February, witnessing 71.39 per cent turnout amid a raging protest spearheaded by farmers of the state against three new central laws.
Meanwhile, senior lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted about the development.
Congress has swept the Punjab Municipal polls. BJP & AAP draw a blank. Even Akali Dal virtually wiped out. Undoubtedly the effect of Farm laws & Farmers movement. Wait & see what happens in UP next year
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) February 17, 2021
