The political landscape in Punjab has turned highly volatile as major opposition blocks, including the Indian National Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, launched a joint offensive against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. Following the conclusion of the civic polls, opposition stalwarts accused the ruling party of deploying state machinery and local workers to intimidate voters, vandalize polling booths, and disrupt the voting process in areas where the opposition held a strong footing.
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal openly condemned the day’s events, stating that widespread violence erupted across key regions including Majitha, Samana, Bathinda, Gidderbaha, and Raikot. Badal alleged that targeted violence was systematically unleashed to suppress the democratic voice of the public at the grassroots level. Mirroring these concerns, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring termed the intimidation tactics deeply shameful and unacceptable in a democratic setup. Warring demanded strict, unbiased police action against all individuals involved in lawlessness, warning that the state was being pushed into an atmosphere of political hooliganism.
Adding to the administrative friction, the opposition heavily criticized local authorities in places like Samrala for failing to provide basic wheelchair facilities for elderly and specially-abled voters at multiple polling stations. Further escalating the political tension, former MLA and BJP district president Sarup Chand Singla and his son were allegedly attacked by political rivals in Bathinda right after voting concluded, leaving his security gunman injured. Opposition leaders have jointly declared that the citizens of Punjab are closely monitoring these events and will deliver a decisive democratic reply in the upcoming assembly elections.
