Chandigarh:- The Aam Aadmi Party this morning released its first list of 961 candidates for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, which the state’s ruling party considers a test run before the 2027 assembly elections. These elections to 22 Zila Parishads (except Mohali, where they have been postponed) and over 150 Panchayat Samiti are scheduled to be held on December 14, and the results will be declared on December 17.
The Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections are being held just 15 months before the next assembly elections in the state, due to which each party is making all efforts to strengthen its vote base.
Facing an anti-incumbency movement, AAP is considering building its cadre strength at the grassroots level through these elections, which will help it reach out to voters better in the assembly elections.
Party leaders have been told that the results of these elections will determine whether they get a ticket for the next assembly elections. Ministers, ruling party MLAs and other leaders are focusing their energies on their respective constituencies after the elections were announced on November 28.
Before the elections were announced, the ruling party had also restructured most of the blocks, which is sure to give them a slight edge in these elections.v