Aam Aadmi Party’s National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda has termed the recently concluded District Council and Block Committee elections in Punjab as a turning point in the state’s political history, stating that conducting free and fair elections is the biggest achievement of the Bhagwant Mann-led government, even more significant than the party’s electoral victory.
Dhanda said that unlike previous regimes, where local body elections were reduced to a mere formality, the 2025 elections in Punjab were conducted without fear, pressure or misuse of state machinery, restoring people’s faith in the democratic process.
Anurag Dhanda: Breaking a Decades-Old Political Perception
According to Dhanda, Punjab had long carried the perception that whichever party was in power would automatically dictate the outcome of local elections. “For the first time, this belief has been broken. The Mann government proved that a ruling party can stay away from the electoral process and allow democracy to function freely,” he said.
A Troubled Past of Local Elections
Highlighting the past, Dhanda recalled the 2008, 2013 and 2018 local body elections, describing them as periods marked by intimidation, violence and booth capturing. During the Akali-BJP regime, several districts including Patiala, Sangrur, Muktsar, Gurdaspur, Moga and Amritsar witnessed large-scale coercion, with opposition candidates often prevented from filing nominations.
He further pointed out that election-related violence had escalated to extreme levels in some areas, with reports of killings and repeated re-polling due to booth capturing, particularly during the 2013 elections.
Congress Era Failed to Reform Electoral Culture
Dhanda stated that expectations of reform after the Congress came to power in 2017 were quickly dashed. The 2018 District Panchayat and Block Committee elections witnessed severe violence, forcing re-polling at 53 booths across seven districts, proving that political interference and administrative bias continued unabated.
2025 Elections: A Clear Shift in Governance
Contrasting past experiences, Dhanda said the 2025 elections stood out for their transparency and restraint. “There was no misuse of police, no intimidation of opposition parties and no administrative pressure,” he said.
While 46 FIRs were registered in 2018 over election-related violence, the number dropped to just six incidents in 2025. Re-polling was required at only 16 booths, largely due to technical issues such as incorrect ballot printing.
Close Contests Reflect Electoral Integrity
Dhanda said the narrow margins in several constituencies were the strongest proof of fairness. Over 580 seats were decided by margins of fewer than 100 votes, with candidates from Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and independent groups winning in many areas by margins as small as three to five votes.
“Such outcomes would have been impossible if the government machinery had been misused,” he asserted.
Victory Driven by Governance, Not Force
Despite the level playing field, AAP secured more than 60 per cent of District Council seats and over 50 per cent of Block Committee seats. Dhanda attributed the success to the government’s performance, citing decisive action against drugs, uninterrupted power and water supply for farmers, improved infrastructure, employment opportunities for youth, investments in education and healthcare, free electricity and a corruption-free administrative approach.
