Punjab civic polls announced: Voting on May 26, counting on May 29 across 8 municipal corporations

Punjab Municipal Elections 2026:  The Punjab State Election Commission on Monday announced the schedule for the much-awaited civic body elections in the state, with polling set to take place on May 26 and counting scheduled for May 29.

The elections will be conducted for eight municipal corporations, 76 municipal councils and 21 nagar panchayats across Punjab. Voting will take place from 8 am to 5 pm.

State Election Commissioner Dr Raj Kamal Chaudhuri said elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful and transparent elections across urban local bodies.

According to the schedule, the nomination process will begin on May 13 and continue till May 16. Candidates will be able to file their nomination papers between 11 am and 3 pm at the offices of the returning officers. Election symbols will also be allotted after the completion of the nomination process.

The Election Commission clarified that nominations will not be accepted online. Candidates will have to physically visit the designated election offices to submit their papers. However, all candidate-related information and election data will be uploaded online for public access.

Scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on May 18, during which candidates and their representatives can raise objections before the returning officer. The final date for withdrawal of nominations has been fixed for May 19.

The eight Municipal Corporations going to polls are Mohali (SAS Nagar), Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala and Pathankot.

Nearly 3,977 polling stations will be established for the elections, all of them located in urban areas. The Election Commission said around 36.72 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes, including over 18 lakh male voters, around 17.73 lakh female voters and 226 voters from the third gender category.

With the announcement of elections, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect across the urban local bodies concerned. The Election Commission has informed the Punjab Government regarding the enforcement of the code, following which transfers and new administrative decisions linked to these areas will remain restricted.

Officials also confirmed that candidates will be allowed to contest elections on party symbols. Political parties have already been informed regarding the procedures. Candidates will also be required to submit affidavits along with their nomination papers.

To ensure transparency, the entire election-related information, including candidate profiles and daily updates, will be uploaded online through a dedicated public portal.

Senior IAS and PCS officers will supervise election arrangements in districts. Authorities have also ordered videography of the entire nomination and polling process to maintain transparency. CCTV cameras will be installed inside and outside the offices of returning officers.

The Election Commission further stated that only four persons apart from the candidate will be allowed during the nomination filing process.

Meanwhile, elections to the Hoshiarpur local body have been deferred due to the ongoing revision of electoral rolls. Election Commissioner Dr Raj Kamal Chaudhuri said polling in Hoshiarpur is likely to take place after four to five months once the revision process is completed.

Apart from Hoshiarpur, elections to the Sham Churasi local body have also been postponed due to issues related to ward reservation.