Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched a sharp attack on the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal after 351 Panchayat Samiti seats were won unopposed across the state. Speaking at a press conference in Chandigarh, Mann said opposition parties failed to find credible candidates and were now blaming the Aam Aadmi Party for their own weaknesses.
Out of the 351 unopposed seats, AAP candidates won 340, while eight went to Independents and only three to the Congress. These seats were decided without voting due to nomination errors or the presence of a single candidate. Mann rejected allegations that opposition nominees were stopped from filing papers, calling such claims baseless.
Responding to former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s allegation about pre-stamped ballot papers, Mann said Congress had a habit of questioning every election process. “First it was EVMs, now ballots. They should decide how they want elections conducted,” he said.
On Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s remarks, Mann accused Congress leaders of being obsessed with power rather than Punjab’s development. He said internal conflicts would sink the party further.
The Chief Minister also mocked SAD president Sukhbir Badal, saying voters had forced the Akali leadership to reconnect with villages. Mann urged voters to judge parties by performance in the December 14 district council and Panchayat Samiti polls, asserting that AAP was focused on public welfare, not political survival.
