Municipal Corporation and Council Elections Announced; Voting on 26th May, Results on 29th May

May 11, 2026

The schedule for the civic body elections in Punjab has been announced. Voting will take place on May 26, while the results will be declared on May 29. The nomination process will commence on May 13 and continue until May 16. Nominations can be filed between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Election Commissioner Dr. Raj Kamal Chaudhary stated that the scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on May 18. All candidates will be permitted to visit the Election Office on that day. During this time, they may present any objections they have before the Returning Officer. If any candidate’s nomination form is rejected during this process, they will be duly informed. May 19 will be the final opportunity to withdraw nominations.

He further announced that elections will be held in eight Municipal Corporations. These include Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala, and Pathankot. Elections will also be conducted in 76 Municipal Councils and 21 Nagar Panchayats. A total of 3,977 polling stations have been established. All elections will be held within urban areas.

He affirmed that preparations have been made to ensure the elections are conducted in a peaceful manner. There is a total electorate of 3,672,932 voters. This comprises 1,800,990 male voters, 1,773,000 female voters, and 226 voters categorized as ‘Others.’ The Model Code of Conduct has come into force starting today. A formal communication regarding this is being sent to the government. Consequently, a ban has been imposed on transfers and similar administrative actions.

Pressure on the government before the elections

The civic elections are taking place at a time when Punjab’s Local Government Minister was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. No other minister has yet been given additional charge of the department, further fueling political debate.

Semi-finals for the 2027 Assembly elections

These civic elections are being considered a semi-final for the 2027 Assembly elections. Significantly, the elections are being held in urban areas, where all political parties are trying to demonstrate their strength. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also visited several constituency areas in the past few months.