Punjab AAP Govt Faces SAD Charges of Poll Rigging via Admin Abuse

A major political storm is brewing in Punjab as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) unleashes a blistering critique against the AAP administration over alleged manipulation in municipal elections. Leader Bikram Singh Majithia, addressing the media on Friday from Chandigarh, accused the government of orchestrating a systematic campaign of administrative harassment to block opposition participation. With ground-level losses looming, AAP has turned frantic, deploying the full weight of the bureaucracy against rivals, Majithia contended. SAD hopefuls, he said, have endured endless office chakkars over three days – May 13 to 15 – chasing essential NOCs for nominations, only to face calculated delays by officials. Complaints poured into multiple authorities including DCs, SDMs, ROs, and the state election body, met with hollow promises. The plot thickened when Majithia Nagar Council's executive officer, Manmohan Singh Randhawa, reportedly confessed to succumbing to top-down governmental pressure. Shockingly, even SDM mandates were ignored, with the officer absent from duty. Majithia framed this not as isolated incidents but as a statewide plot to rob opposition of their democratic rights. 'Fair elections are a thing of the past in Punjab,' he declared. 'What's unfolding is a blatant display of muscle-flexing: threats, coercion, and state machinery twisted to muzzle dissent.' These revelations come at a critical juncture for Punjab's urban local body polls, potentially galvanizing anti-incumbency sentiments. As SAD vows to fight back legally and politically, the spotlight intensifies on AAP's commitment to clean governance – a promise now under severe scrutiny.