Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday inducted 31 Independent councillors into the party after they emerged victorious in the recent municipal body elections across Punjab. Badal announced that another 20 Independent winners are expected to join the party soon, which would increase the total support base of such councillors to 51. According to him, all of these councillors have already extended their support to the SAD.
The elections for 102 municipal bodies covering 1,897 wards across eight municipal corporations—including Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala and Pathankot—along with 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats were conducted on May 26 using ballot papers. The voter turnout was recorded at 63.94 per cent. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured over 48 per cent of the wards, followed by the Congress, the SAD and the BJP in that order.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Badal stated that the induction of Independent councillors has raised the SAD's effective tally to 243 wards, compared to the 192 wards won directly on the party symbol. He also claimed that the party now holds an absolute majority in nine municipal committees, including Maluka, Kot Shamir, Bhagta Bhaika, Bhucho, Nathana, Lehra Mohabbat, Sangat, Kot Fatta and Rahon.
Badal further asserted that the SAD has emerged as the leading party in terms of vote share in several committees such as Faridkot, Mehraj, Majitha and Maur. He alleged that in some places, candidates were "wrongly declared defeated despite securing the highest votes." Expressing satisfaction with the overall performance, Badal claimed the party performed better than the Congress despite what he described as attempts to weaken the SAD during the elections.
He alleged that the SAD was forced to contest 300 fewer seats than the Congress due to administrative pressure and claimed that despite this disadvantage, the Congress won only about 150 more seats. Badal also accused the AAP government of using "repressive tactics," including the arrest of SAD district president Satish Grover in Faridkot and action against party workers in Majitha. He warned that such actions would generate public resentment against the ruling party and said voters would respond in the upcoming Assembly elections.
