The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has secured the mayoral posts in the municipal corporations of Barnala, Bathinda, and Moga in Punjab's Malwa region. Elections for the top positions were conducted on Thursday.
Election Results
AAP had earlier won 36 of the 50 wards in Barnala, 35 of the 50 wards in Bathinda, and 30 of the 50 wards in Moga municipal corporation during the May 26 elections. The election for mayor of Abohar municipal corporation is yet to be notified, where the BJP holds a majority after winning 28 of the 50 wards.
Bathinda Mayor Re-elected
In Bathinda, Padamjit Singh Mehta was re-elected as mayor. A postgraduate from the University of London, Padamjit is the son of Punjab Cricket Association president Amarjit Singh Mehta. He was first elected mayor on February 5, 2025, following a byelection victory from Ward 48.
Barnala's First Mayor
Hasanpreet Bhardwaj was elected as the first mayor of Barnala after the town was upgraded to a municipal corporation in late 2025. Bhardwaj, considered close to Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, previously served as OSD to Hayer when the latter was a Punjab minister before contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Sangrur.
Moga Mayor Elected
Vinaypal Kaur was elected mayor of Moga. According to the roster under the Punjab Reservation for the Offices of Mayors of Municipal Corporations Rules, 2017, the mayoral post in Moga was reserved for the backward classes (BC) category, while posts in other corporations were unreserved. Only two councillors from the BC category were present in Moga.
Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan's mother-in-law Harbans Kaur was also reportedly in the race, along with AAP youth wing functionary Mandeep Kaur Ramgarhia.
Government's Vision
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer stated that the AAP government has issued clear instructions for its elected representatives to ensure clean governance in the corporations.
Punjab minister Hardeep Singh Mundian accompanied Amarjit Mehta and Padamjit Mehta after the latter's election, while Punjab minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Moga MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora expressed confidence that the Moga municipal corporation would work towards providing better civic amenities under AAP's leadership.
