Voting begins for 117 Punjab urban local bodies

Chandigarh, February 14, 2021

Voting for 117 urban local bodies in Punjab, including eight high-stake municipal corporations, began on Sunday, Election Commission officials here said.

Polling began at 8 a.m. and will continue till 4 p.m.

The main contest is among the ruling Congress, the main opposition Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal.

The BJP, which is facing anger over the contentious Central farm laws, is also in the fray. It is contesting the polls for the first time in two decades without the Akalis, the oldest NDA ally that has parted ways from it over farm laws.

Local issues of towns and cities and the respective wards dominated the campaigning.

The voting is being held for eight municipal corporations and 109 municipal councils and municipal panchayats.

The results will be declared on February 17.

A total of 20,49,777 men and 18,65,354 women will cast votes at 4,102 polling stations, including 1,708 sensitive and 861 hyper sensitive.

A total of 9,222 candidates are in fray in 2,302 wards.

Political observers say these polls, just a year ahead of the assembly elections, is a "semi-final" for the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government that is hoping to return to power against the backdrop of the farm laws that have generated a wave of anger against the BJP.

IANS