Elections for 9 municipal corporations in Punjab on May 24

April 29, 2026

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has completed four years. In this final, decisive fifth year, the government aims to accelerate public welfare and public service. Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has prepared a proposal for municipal corporation elections. It is being said that the municipal corporation elections, which have been pending in the state for a long time, will be held in phases this year, i.e., in 2026.

Sources indicate that the first phase of elections will be held on May 24th, covering nine municipal corporations: Abohar, Mohali, Hoshiarpur, Bathinda, Batala, Barnala, Moga, Pathankot, and Kapurthala. It is also expected that elections for the remaining municipal corporations, namely Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Phagwara, will also be held this year. This means that the pending elections will be held in two or three phases. It should be noted that in the 2021 municipal elections, the ruling Congress performed well in Abohar, Batala, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Bathinda, and Barnala, and also asserted its presence in the remaining municipal corporations. With the Aam Aadmi Party in power this time in Punjab, these elections will serve as a test for the ruling party to prepare for next year’s assembly elections. A progressive development in these elections is that 50 percent of seats will be reserved for women candidates.

Additionally, there will be reserved seats for the SC/ST category. With the municipal elections approaching, administrative and political activity across the state is gathering pace. The biggest challenge is whether the ruling party will see the same impact as the Congress party experienced in the 2021 elections. The challenge for the state government and other parties will be to keep their parties united during the elections and fight the elections with a collective strength, free from contradictions, to fulfill promises of public welfare.

It should be remembered that in municipal elections, national or provincial issues are not as important as the individual problems of the cities themselves. Road repairs, garbage disposal, lighting management, and encroachment in markets are among the many local issues facing cities. Only those leaders who appear willing to address these issues will receive votes. Based on the reservations for women and Scheduled Castes, we hope that effective leadership will emerge in these elections, and they will succeed in giving their cities a new, clean, and safe life.