Punjab rural polls: SAD show hints at south Malwa revival

BATHINDA: Gaining control of Bathinda and Muktsar zila parishads and a fair number of panchayat samitis, Shiromani Akali Dal's performance indicates its revival in rural areas of the southern malwa region.

Akali Dal won 13 out of the 17 zila parishad zones in Bathinda, and seven out of 13 in Muktsar. The party took five out of 10 zones in the Faridkot zila parishad and four out of 11 zones in the Mansa zila parishad.


Its best performance came in Bathinda, the area represented by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the lone Lok Sabha member from the party, winning 79 zones out of 137 in the panchayat samiti. In Faridkot, the party won 25 zones out of 65. Akali Dal emerged as the single largest party in Muktsar by winning 48 zones out of 95 in the district and 33 out of 86 zones in the panchayat samiti in Mansa.

The party also gained control of Goniana, Nathana, Bathinda, and Sangat panchayat samitis in Bathinda district, and Muktsar and Lambi panchayat samiti in Muktsar. The party is close to a majority in the Mansa panchayat samiti as it won 12 out of 25 zones. Akali Dal now controls two out of 22 zila parishads (elections for Mohali were not held) and six out of 153 panchayat samitis.tnn