Congress party won Moga, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Abohar,Pathankot, Batala and Bathinda- all the seven Municipal Corporations of Punjab,making it evident that BJP has faced backlash due to farmers' protests and ittranslated into the results of municipal polls.
After 53 years,Congress is again winning from Bathinda because it is regarded as aShiromani Akali Dal's strong hold. Harsimrat Kaur Badal of Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) represents Bathinda in Lok-Sabha. The SAD recently left their long termallies Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) due to their differences regardingcontentious farm laws.
Manpreet Singh Badal, the Finance Minister of Punjab whois also a cousin of Sukhbir Singh Badal- the arch rival of CM Singh, tweeted,"History has been made today! Bathinda will get a Congress Mayor for the1st time in 53 years! Thank you to ALL Bathinda residents. Congratulations tothe people of Bathinda for a spectacular victory. Kudos to all Congresscandidates and workers, who toiled for this day."
In a subsequent tweet, Manpreet Badal said, "Thankyou to all contestants who kept the flame of democracy bright and burning. Westand committed in working together for the development of Bathinda andensuring a better future for our residents."
Reportedly, it is a 'huge' setback to BJP for theirstance on the farm laws that the people of Punjab are protesting against andspearheaded protests across the borders around Delhi. 71.39% voting turnout wasrecorded. The total number of 9,222 candidates are fielded for the local bodyelections in Punjab to 2,302 wards of eight municipal corporations of Abohar,Bathinda Batala, Kapurthala, Mohali, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Moga, 109municipal councils and nagar panchayats.