With a win in more than half the number of wards, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), for the first time, has emerged as the largest party in the Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) election.

The AAP won 26 of the total 50 seats as the party took control from the Congress, which could manage only 12 seats this time. While the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won four seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured three seats.

The results of the Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) elections triggered major political upsets across the city, with several heavyweight candidates suffering defeats while Independent candidates and fresh faces delivered impressive performances. The elections also witnessed a record rise in women’s representation in the civic body.

Among the most talked-about contests were Ward Nos. 6 and 10, where the results kept political circles on edge till the final rounds of counting.

From Ward No. 6, Sunny Ahluwalia defeated four-time winner and former Deputy Mayor Manjit Singh Sethi by a huge margin, scripting one of the biggest upsets of the elections. In Ward No. 10, Independent candidate Paramjit Singh Kahlon stunned Congress heavyweight Kanwarbir Singh “Rubby” Sidhu, the son of former health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

Congress candidate Anuradha Anand contested from a general ward and registered a comfortable victory with a significant lead. Similarly, acting president of the Mahila Congress Baljit Kaur won Ward No. 37 by a huge margin.

One of the most dramatic results came from Ward No. 47, where AAP candidate Parminder Kaur secured victory by just one vote, making it the closest and most thrilling contest of the elections.

The elections also marked a historic moment for women’s participation. A total of 26 women councillors were elected to the Mohali Municipal Corporation. Prakashvati, who contested from Ward No. 14 on a general seat, lost narrowly by just 90 votes. Had she won, the number of women councillors would have risen to 27.

The counting process also witnessed controversy and delays. Counting for Ward No. 6 had to be temporarily halted because the observer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court had not arrived at the counting centre. Former Deputy Mayor Manjit Singh Sethi had approached the high court seeking the appointment of a separate observer, a request that was accepted. The delay subsequently affected the declaration of results in several other wards as well.

Another controversy erupted in Ward No. 2 after counterfoils were allegedly found mixed with valid ballot papers during counting, raising concerns over voter secrecy. The Election Commission immediately stopped the counting process and later clarified that the counterfoils would be separated in the presence of videography before counting resumed.

Ward No. 10 remained the centre of attention throughout the day. After the counting of the first two ballot boxes, Rubby Sidhu was leading by 153 votes and celebrations had already begun in the Congress camp. However, Kahlon made a dramatic comeback in the last two rounds of counting. He secured a lead of 70 votes in the third ballot box itself, and by the final round, the margin had increased to 131 votes, turning Congress celebrations into disappointment within moments.

Several Independent candidates also performed strongly, delivering major setbacks to established political parties.

An unusual incident was reported during the victory celebrations of Ahluwalia. While supporters were congratulating him with garlands, sweets and hugs, mobile thieves allegedly struck the gathering and stole several mobile phones and a wallet belonging to supporter Sarthak Arvinder Singh Bedi.

According to supporters, the wallet contained around Rs 7,000 along with important documents, including a voter ID card, PAN card and other papers. Another supporter, Balwinder Singh, publicly appealed to the thieves to keep the cash but return the important documents and identification cards.

Mother-son duo wins for Cong, Husband-wife pair triumphs for AAP

From Wards 20 and 21, Congress candidates Gaurav Jain and his mother Raj Rani Jain emerged victorious. Notably, Raj Rani and her late husband Rishav had earlier won consecutive elections and remained prominent faces in local politics. Following the demise of Rishav in recent years, this election saw their son Gaurav stepping into active politics and successfully carrying forward the family legacy with a win.

Similarly, in Wards 3 and 4, AAP candidates Gurmeet Kaur and her husband Harbinder Singh both secured victories, giving the party a strong family double win in the area.

Another husband-wife pair, Amarjit Singh and Jugvinder Kaur, contested the elections from Wards 16 and 19 respectively. However, while Amarjit managed to win his seat, Jugvinder had to face defeat.