Counting Begins for Punjab's District Council and Panchayat Elections Amid Tight Security

Election Counting Underway in Punjab

The counting of votes for the district council and panchayat committee elections in Punjab commenced on Wednesday morning, accompanied by stringent security measures, as reported by officials.

Voting took place on December 14 across 347 wards in 22 district councils and 2,838 wards in 153 panchayat committees, with a voter turnout of 48%. Over 9,000 candidates participated in the elections.

Vote counting began at 8 AM at various centers established throughout the state.

Candidates from all major political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contested the elections using their party symbols.

Allegations of Electoral Fraud

Opposition parties, Congress and SAD, accused the ruling AAP of committing "open fraud" during the voting process on December 14.

Previously, both parties had alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's government misused state machinery to prevent their candidates from filing nominations and to reject submitted nominations.