Punjab voted on December 14 to elect members to 22 district councils and 153 panchayat samitis. Voters chose representatives for 347 district council zones and 2,838 panchayat samiti zones. Around 48 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots. More than 9,000 candidates contested the polls.

According to officials, counting remains in progress, and authorities have not yet declared final results. However, early trends place AAP ahead in most regions. Congress holds the second position, followed by the Shiromani Akali Dal. The BJP trails far behind.

AAP has already secured victories in over 60 district council zones. Congress has won more than 10 zones. Akali Dal has won three zones, while BJP has secured one. Independent candidates have won two zones.

In panchayat samitis, AAP leads in over 1,000 zones. Congress follows with over 250 zones. Akali Dal has crossed 170 zones, while BJP has led in over 25 zones.

AAP Punjab president Aman Arora said voters have endorsed the state government’s policies. He claimed nearly 85 percent of declared results favour AAP. Officials expect final results by late evening.

The post Punjab Panchayat Elections 2025: AAP Takes Clear Lead appeared first on India Podcast.

Polling started at 7 am, but low temperatures slowed voter turnout during the early hours. Election officials expect participation to pick up as the day progresses. The State Election Commission has deployed more than 40,000 security personnel and around 15,000 polling staff to ensure peaceful voting.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu cast his vote at the 11-Gyangkhar polling station in Tawang district. In a post on X, he urged citizens to vote in large numbers and exercise their democratic rights responsibly. He said every vote strengthens grassroots democracy and supports community development.

The ruling BJP has already secured major gains without contest. The party won 58 district council seats unopposed, while the National People’s Party claimed one seat. BJP candidates also won four Itanagar Municipal Corporation seats uncontested.

Additionally, 5,037 BJP candidates have been elected unopposed to gram panchayats. Overall, 440 candidates are contesting 186 district council seats. The electorate includes 8,31,648 voters across rural and urban bodies.

The post Arunachal Local Body Voting Begins Amid Tight Security appeared first on India Podcast.

The dispute began after 42 villages were removed from Samana block and merged with Patran block. In protest, residents of five villages had announced three months ago that they would not vote for any political party. They stood firm on election day and stayed away from polling booths.

The villages that enforced the boycott are Bhedpuri, Dodra, Kotli, Sahajpura Kalan and Sahajpura Khurd. Booth numbers 159 to 163 were set up in these areas. Together, the villages have 3,858 registered voters, but polling officials confirmed zero turnout. Polling staff remained present throughout the day despite the boycott.

Villagers Gurmeet Singh and Gurdip Singh said their villages earlier fell under Samana block. After being shifted to Patran block, residents now have to travel nearly 35 kilometres for official work. They said repeated memorandums submitted to authorities brought no relief.

Angered by the lack of response, villagers chose to boycott the elections. They also warned that if the issue remains unresolved, they will continue to boycott future elections.

SDM Samana Richa Goyal said the villagers’ demand has been forwarded to senior officer and the matter is under consideration at the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Patiala level.

The post Punjab local body polls see 48% turnout amid stray incidents of violence appeared first on India Podcast.

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.

The post CM Bhagwant Mann Slams Congress Over Unopposed Panchayat Poll Wins appeared first on India Podcast.