Ludhiana MC elections: Congress sweeps local body polls, wins 62 wards

About 60 per cent eligible voters cast their vote, though the exact percentage of voting could be known, officials said told PTI.

Congress has won 62 wards out of 95 wards in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation election results announced on Tuesday. Shiromani Akali Dal won (SAD)-11 wards and BJP was pushed to third sport with 10 seats. Lok Insaf Party won 7 wards and AAP was content with only one ward. Independent candidates grabbed 4 wards.

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh congratulated the party workers and leaders, including Cabinet Minister, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, and Ludhiana MP, Ravneet Bittu, for steering the sweeping victory for the Congress.

CM hailed the results as a clear vindication of the Congress government's policies and an endorsement of the pro-people initiatives undertaken by it in the past one year.

The polls were held on 24th February followed by re-polling in two booths on Monday. As many as 494 candidates were in the fray for the elections. Nearly 10.50 lakh voters were eligible to cast their votes to elect their representatives in the 95 wards.

The civic poll was marred by stray incidents of violence in 95 wards of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, with opposition parties claiming that the ruling Congress indulged in "booth capturing" and "bogus voting".

About 60 per cent eligible voters cast their vote, though the exact percentage of voting could be known, officials said told PTI. Reports said members of the ruling party Congress and opposition parties clashed in several wards.

Meanwhile, The Indian Express reported that the Ludhiana municipal corporation poll has been surrounded by controversy. It has been learnt that a delegation led by SAD-BJP has met Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore. The leaders have urged him to direct the Congress government in the state to scrap the Ludhiana municipal corporation poll process and hold fresh elections.

The Congress had earlier won municipal elections in the Amritsar, Patiala and Jalandhar corporations in December. The party had also tasted victory in 20 out of 29 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats.

(With agency inputs)