Kapurthala MLA and senior Congress leader Rana Gurjeet Singh has raised questions over the inordinate delay in conducting the mayoral elections of the Kapurthala Municipal Corporation. He has written a letter to the Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner, seeking directions to the Kapurthala Corporation Commissioner to hold the elections at the earliest.
Congress sweep in municipal polls
The results of the Municipal Corporation elections for Kapurthala were declared on May 29, 2026, with the Congress registering a sweeping victory across various wards. In the Kapurthala Municipal Corporation, Congress won 31 out of 50 wards, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 11 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won three each, and Independents bagged two seats. Later, Aman Rani, a former Congress leader who won as an Independent after being denied a party ticket, officially joined the Congress, taking the party’s tally to 32.
Delay undermines democratic mandate: MLA
Speaking on the delay, Rana Gurjeet Singh said, “This inordinate delay undermines the integrity of the democratic mandate and creates an atmosphere highly vulnerable to political malpractices and horse trading. The government is leaving no stone unturned to dent the democratic principles, though I also know they are not going to succeed, I am proud of my team.” He added, “The results have already been officially declared and notified, any further delay in conducting mayoral elections not only violates the statutory timeline but also stalls crucial urban development projects and administrative governance in Jalandhar. Kapurthala residents are currently deprived of an active municipal leadership to address daily civic grievances.”
Son also questions delay in council president election
Incidentally, both Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh and his son, Independent Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh, recorded substantial victories in the civic polls in the region. Of the total 13 seats in the Sultanpur Lodhi Municipal Council, Rana Inder Partap Singh’s group secured a seven-seat majority, AAP won five seats, while SAD secured one seat.
Rana Inder Partap on Thursday questioned the delay in the election to choose the president of the Sultanpur Lodhi Municipal Council. He alleged, “As per law, after the notification of results, the election of the council chairman must be held within 15 days. In our case, the notification was issued on June 17. Accordingly, I had requested the administration to ensure the council elections by July 2. However, on Thursday, the SDM suddenly fell ill. I even requested the DC to depute someone else. If officers continue to work at the government’s behest like this, I will approach the High Court. It was the government’s responsibility to conduct the elections.”
Rana Inder Partap further alleged that on June 26, he had received a formal notice from the SDM, Kapurthala, stating that a meeting of councillors would be convened for the election of the council president and vice president on July 2. However, he added, “On the very day of the meeting, the SDM called in sick.”
