The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has marked a notable resurgence in the ongoing Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections across Punjab, with results pouring in till late Tuesday and Wednesday. The party's performance, showing a sharp upward trend from its recent electoral setbacks, is being viewed as a significant political turnaround by observers and party insiders alike.
Symbolic Victories in Sacrilege-Episode Villages
Among the most symbolically crucial wins for the Akali Dal was its victory in the Behbal Kalan Block Samiti. The village was the site of a tragic police firing on October 14, 2015, which claimed the lives of two protesters, Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Bhagwan Singh, following incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib. This event is widely considered a major turning point that precipitated the party's political decline in the state.
In Behbal Kalan, SAD candidate Amarjeet Kaur secured a convincing victory, polling 550 out of 900 votes to defeat her Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rival. The win holds profound emotional and political weight for the party. "The party’s downfall began after these incidents, which is why winning Behbal Kalan matters a lot to us," remarked a SAD supporter from the village.
Adding to the symbolic narrative, the party also performed well in the Jaitu block of Faridkot district, which encompasses Bargari village—where torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were found—and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala, the village gurdwara from where the holy scripture was stolen. SAD won three Panchayat Samiti seats in this block.
Widespread Gains Across Districts
The Akali Dal's improved fortunes were not confined to a single region. The party registered strong performances in several key districts:
In Bathinda district's Rampura Phul area, SAD won both Zila Parishad seats and secured 8 out of 18 Panchayat Samiti seats. In the Bathinda block samiti, the party emerged as the largest party by winning 79 of 137 seats, leaving AAP far behind with 35 seats.
The party's strongest performance was witnessed in the Muktsar district. Within the Muktsar assembly constituency, SAD won 17 of 20 Panchayat Samiti seats and all four Zila Parishad seats. In the Lambi Vidhan Sabha constituency, the party won 19 of 25 block samiti seats and all four Zila Parishad seats.
Encouraging results also came from Ferozepur and Mansa districts. By 9 pm on Wednesday, SAD had won nearly 250 Panchayat Samiti seats across Punjab, with counting still underway in many places.
A Contrast to Recent Electoral History
The current results stand in stark contrast to the party's performance in recent years. In the 2018 Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, the then-ruling Congress had swept the polls, leaving SAD with a mere 18 Zila Parishad seats out of 353. The 2022 Assembly elections reduced the party to just three MLAs in the state legislature.
Following disappointing shows in the Lok Sabha constituencies and the Jalandhar West bypoll, the party had even boycotted the 2024 assembly bypolls. Therefore, the gains in these local body elections are being interpreted as the first signs of a steady revival and a much-needed morale booster for the party cadre.
"The results are still coming in, but these trends have lifted the morale of party workers. The Akali Dal is making a comeback," said members of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s team.
Another notable win was in the Mehal Kalan Block Samiti, where SAD candidate Jaswinder Kaur defeated the AAP nominee. This block includes the native villages of Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and AAP MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori, indicating the party's ability to make inroads in AAP strongholds.
While the AAP managed to hold its ground in some areas like Malaut and Gidderbaha, the overall narrative of these local polls has been dominated by the Shiromani Akali Dal's unexpected and significant gains, setting the stage for a more competitive political landscape in Punjab.
