Anjaneya Tewari, Chandigarh: In a major post-election development, 51 independent candidates who were backed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the recent civic elections have extended their formal support to the party. SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal officially inducted 31 of these independent councillors into the party fold today, with the remaining set to join shortly.
Addressing a press conference, Badal revealed that with these 51 independent councillors expressing faith in the party’s leadership, the total number of wards won under the SAD umbrella has risen to 243. The party had previously secured 192 wards under its own electoral symbol.
Clear Majorities and Regional Dominance The SAD president announced that the party has secured a complete majority in nine municipal committees, outperforming the Congress, which captured six committees, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won two. The nine committees where SAD claimed an absolute majority are:
-
Maluka (9/11)
-
Kot Shamir (11/13)
-
Bhagta Bhaika (7/13)
-
Bhucho (7/13)
-
Nathana (7/11)
-
Lehra Mohabbat (8/11)
-
Sangat (6/9)
-
Kot Fatta (8/11)
-
Rahon (10/13)
Badal further disclosed that SAD secured the number one position in terms of overall votes polled in several key committees, including Faridkot, Mehraj, Majitha, and Maur.
Allegations of Rigging and Misuse of Power Taking a sharp swipe at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Badal alleged that Akali candidates faced severe state repression, systemic goondaism, and the blatant misuse of police power. He claimed that at multiple locations, SAD candidates were declared defeated despite receiving the highest number of votes. He specifically cited an anomaly in Zirakpur, where a SAD candidate allegedly held a Returning Officer’s certificate proving the highest vote count but was still declared defeated by an AAP candidate. Similar discrepancies were noted in Malout, Muktsar, and Kot Fatta.
Despite these hurdles, Badal expressed satisfaction with the results, arguing that SAD structurally performed better than Congress. He pointed out that the AAP government arbitrarily rejected 726 SAD nominations, restricting the party to contesting just 1,251 seats compared to the 1,550 seats contested by Congress. “Despite being forced to contest 300 seats less than the Congress, the latter could win only 150 more seats than the SAD,” Badal noted.
Condemning Political Vendetta The SAD chief asserted that the arrest of the party’s Faridkot district president, Satish Grover, and police actions against Akali workers in Majitha have created widespread public angst that will cost the ruling party heavily in the next assembly elections.
Responding to media queries regarding a recent police case registered against senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Badal dismissed it as a textbook example of political vendetta orchestrated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He drew a contrast with AAP leader Talbir Gill, who he alleged had forcibly freed a worker from police custody just a day prior to a SAD worker being apprehended. Badal criticized the administration’s double standards, noting that no action was taken against Gill while Majithia continues to be targeted with false cases.
