In Punjab, the counting of votes for the 102 civic bodies has started. The fate of 7,554 candidates from 1,897 wards will be decided today. Voting was held on May 26th. State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri has said that elaborate arrangements have been made and no unauthorised person will be allowed to enter the counting centers. These civic polls are being seen as a litmus test for all the major political parties in the state ahead of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections in 2027. In this multi-cornered contest, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Indian National Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded their candidates.