Punjab Assembly Election 2022 Updates

Activities, actions, and events in the build-up to Punjab Assembly elections 2022

Punjab Assembly Election 2022 Updates

State Elections |
Open | 11 Mar '22 (Last Updated)

Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 - Results Summary

Access detailed historical insights and expert analysis on Punjab Assembly elections here.

February 2022

  • 20 Feb: Elections for the 177 seat Assembly concluded today. The voter turnout was approx 69.5%, lower than the 76.8% turnout recorded in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections. The turnout in areas that the Aam Aadmi Party claimed to have a solid support base showed a dip between 2.3% to 9%.  
  • 18 Feb: The release of Gurmeet Ram Rahim on a 21-day furlough just days before Punjab goes to the polls was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Gurmeet is the former head of the religious cult group, Dera Sacha Sauda, and is serving a 20-year prison sentence on charges of rape and murder. The followers of the Dera and its ex-priest are considered to be influential in the Malwa region and known to vote in accordance with diktats from sect leaders. The Malwa region has 69 of the 117 constituencies in the Punjab Assembly. The petitioner said the order of furlough is "unwarranted, illegal, untenable", and requested the high court to stay the order.
  • 18 Feb: The Congress released its manifesto for Punjab, just 2 days before the state goes to polls. Navjot Singh Sidhu, while releasing the manifesto said the 13-point agenda reflects Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's vision which promises to end the mafia raj by creating corporations for the sale of liquor and sand mining, ₹1,100 per month for women, eight free cooking gas cylinders per year and one lakh government jobs.
  • 17 Feb: The usually mild-mannered Manmohan Singh, former PM of India, launched a scathing attack on PM Narendra Modi accusing him of continuing to blame the first PM of India, Jawaharlal Nehru for the country's problems like inflation, unemployment, Chinese infiltration, wealth inequality, and poor foreign relations, despite being in power for 7.5 years.
  • 17 Feb: Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi provoked controversy while campaigning along with Priyanka Gandhi. He said, "Bhaiyas from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi cannot come here and rule. We will not allow UP bhaiyas to stray into Punjab" while his supported cheered him on with "Bole so nihal...". The comment was criticised by the Opposition and many sections of the society for its offensive tone. In his defence, he said, "I only meant people like Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh, and Arvind Kejriwal who come from outside and cause disruptions." 
  • 14 Feb: Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi promised to provide one lakh government jobs to the youth if Congress is voted to power. He also made promises for improving the education levels of the youth in the state. "We will provide free education in government schools, colleges to those who cannot afford it. We will bring scholarship schemes in support of this idea," he said while addressing a press conference in Chandigarh.
  • 12 Feb: The BJP-led NDA released its manifesto for Punjab elections. The promises in the manifesto include 75% reservation in all government jobs and 50% reservation in private jobs for the youth of Punjab, 35% reservation for women in all government jobs, scholarship of ₹2,000 per month to all the meritorious students, two-wheeler loans with a 50% subsidy to all students of colleges and universities, unemployment allowance of ₹4,000 per month to all graduates for two years after the completion of their degrees, nutritious meals for ₹5 through Guru kripa canteens, free electricity up to 300 units for every household, waiving of outstanding loans upto ₹50,000 for the members of Scheduled Caste (SC), Backward Classes (BC) communities and those falling in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, enactment of a special law to deal with cases of brides abandoned by NRI grooms, a memorial in the memory of the victims of terrorism, laws to disrupt the drug-supply chain, setup of a Drug Prevention Task Force in each district, and mandatory dope test for applications contesting elections. The BJP-led alliance had earlier released an 11-point "Sankalp" document and another manifesto for the rural areas. The newly released manifesto contains all the promises made in the earlier manifestos, making it a comprehensive document that spells out a roadmap for the revival of Punjab's economy.
  • 10 Feb: The Punjab government declared a paid holiday in the state on February 20 to allow people to go out and vote. “The date of polling shall be a paid holiday in respect of all persons employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment situated in the state of Punjab and entitled to vote in the election to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha-2022 on this day,” the official statement said.

Charanjit Singh Channi

  • 06 Feb: The long wait for the official announcement for the Congress' Chief Ministerial face ended today when Rahul Gandhi announced Charanjit Singh Channi as the presumptive Chief Minister if Congress comes to power. Navjot Sidhu, a keen contender for the post, said "I have already agreed with Rahul Gandhi's decision. Even if you don't give me decision-making power, still I will support the next Chief Minister...Don't treat me like a showpiece". Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal called the decision a "victory of sand mafia", alluding to Charanjit Singh Channi as the face of sand mafia. Separately, AAP leader Raghav Chaddha tweeted, "It is indeed sad that out of 3 crore Punjabis - Congress chose a person who is accused of illegal sand mining and transfer posting scam as their CM candidate".
  • 05 Feb: In response to the Punjab government's decision to keep schools closed till February 8 in view of the increasing COVID-19 cases, teachers, parents, and school administration staged protests across Punjab threatening not to vote in the upcoming Assembly elections if schools were not reopened immediately. The protests are being held across Punjab under the banner of the 'Punjab Un-Aided School Association'.
  • 01 Feb: As per a press release by the Election Commission, valuables worth ₹311 crore have been seized by various enforcement teams since the implementation of model code of conduct until January 31. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Dr. S Karuna Raju, said that the surveillance teams have seized psychotropic substances amounting to ₹275.6 crore, 27.9 lakh litres of liquor worth ₹14.7 crore,  unaccounted cash of ₹19.19 crore. The Chief Electoral Officer also said that 2,903 persons have been identified as probable sources of trouble and that preventive action had already been initiated against 1,949 persons.

January 2022

  • 31 Jan: The Election Commission extended the ban on roadshows, pad-yatras, cycle/bike/vehicle rallies, and processions till February 11. However, it has given some relaxation in the number of people allowed at meetings and door-to-door campaigns. From the earlier limit of 500, a maximum of 1,000 people will now be permitted for physical public meetings in designated open spaces. Instead of 10 persons, now 20 persons, excluding security personnel, will be allowed for door-to-door campaigns.
  • 31 Jan: The Supreme Court directed Punjab Police to not arrest Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia till February 23 in a drugs case to enable him to campaign for Assembly elections. "Sorry to say this, suddenly these cases are coming up before elections and everybody has reasons to suspect some motives," NV Ramana, the Chief Justice of India said. He further added that candidates should be allowed to at least file nomination and contest elections in a democracy. The SC directed Mr. Majithia to surrender before a trial court after the Punjab assembly polls on February 20 and also directed the trial court to hear and expeditiously decide his regular bail plea after his surrender in the case.
  • 30 Jan: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal announced that if his party comes to power in Punjab, photographs of all politicians in government offices will be replaced with photographs of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh.
  • 29 Jan: Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, a former IPS officer who joined AAP last year was announced as the party's candidate from Amritsar North constituency. The 52-year old IPS officer says he has joined politics "to cleanse the system".
  • 27 Jan: The Aam Aadmi Party launched its campaign song - "ik mauka AAP nu (give one chance to AAP)" - online. The poll song is set to catchy bhangra beats and highlights the party's poll promises of reduced electricity and water bills, better education, etc.
  • 27 Jan: Rahul Gandhi said the Congress will announce a Chief Minister candidate in Punjab after the February 20 election and the decision will be taken by workers. Rahul Gandhi made the comments with both Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Channi beside him on stage. "Two people can't lead, only one can lead. If one leads, the other has promised to extend all the support. Both have the Congress' thoughts in their heart," he said. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, who is on a day-long visit to Punjab, had langar at Sri Harmandir Sahib along with the party candidates in Amritsar.

  • 25 Jan: The Congress released a new video showcasing its leaders as heroes and the Opposition leaders as villains. The video, modeled on the Hollywood superhero movie 'Avengers: Infinity War', has the faces of CM Channi superimposed on the face of Thor, the god of thunder and lightning in Norse mythology. Rahul Gandhi has been portrayed as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk while Navjot Singh Sidhu has been likened to Captain America. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister, former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal are portrayed as the enemies.
  • 24 Jan: The Election Commission announced the election schedule for the Punjab Assembly elections. As per the schedule, the filing of nomination will begin on January 25 and the scrutiny of the nomination will be done on February 2, while the last date of withdrawal of candidature was set as February 4.
  • 24 Jan: A tri-party seat-sharing pact for the next month's Punjab elections was announced at a news conference in Delhi by Captain Singh and BJP chief JP Nadda and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. The BJP will contest 65 seats, Amarinder Singh's new party Punjab Lok Congress will contest 37, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Samyukt) will contest 15 seats.
  • 24 Jan: Navjot Singh Sidhu filed a complaint against the Aam Aadmi Party with the Election Commission (EC) claiming AAP's recently concluded tele-campaign "Janta Chunegi Apna CM" was a fraud and asked the EC to investigate the matter through call and message logs. "The Aam Aadmi Party is claiming that they have received approximately 7 lakh WhatsApp messages, 2.5 lakh Voice Messages and approximately 8 lakh voice calls. If we try to fit this data into mathematical calculations then it doesn't make sense at all. Usually such calls take at least 15 seconds then only 5760 can be attended in one day and that shall add up to 23,040 calls in four days," Mr. Sidhu wrote to the EC.
  • 24 Jan: Citing an example of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal said that the Budget for Punjab will be prepared by taking opinions from the people of Punjab. "Neglected and deprived sections of the state will be able to directly convey their issues and suggestions to the government and the government will include their opinions in the budget and government schemes," he said. 
  • 22 Jan: The Election Commission extended the ban on roadshows and rallies till January 31 but with certain relaxations for the first two phases of voting due on February 10 and 14. It also raised the limit of 5 people for door-to-door campaigning to 10, excluding security personnel and video vans for publicity permitted at certain open spaces with COVID-19 restrictions.
  • 21 Jan: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said he would file a defamation case against AAP leader Arvind Kejirwal for calling him a dishonest man after the Enforcement Directorate raids at the premises of his nephew. Mr. Channi alleged that Arvind Kejriwal is known to level false accusations against his political opponents and then apologising to them. He cited examples of similar accusations leveled aginst BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, late Arun Jaitley, and Shromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia to whom he subsequently apologised. Speaking to reporters in his constituency in Chamkaur Sahib, he said, "I will file a defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal and have requested my party to give permission to do so. I am compelled to do this. He is dubbing me as dishonest and he has put that on his Twitter handle".

Cash recovered from raids in Channi nephew house

  • 19 Jan: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) siezed ₹8 crore in cash from the premises of Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, a nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, during the raids conducted in an anti-money laundering investigation against illegal sand mining operations in Punjab. In response, Channi said that BJP was resorting to vendetta politics and that Honey was tortured by the ED to implicate his name.

Bhagwant Mann announced as the CM candidate for Punjab

  • 18 Jan: Bhagwant Mann was announced as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP's) chief ministerial candidate for Punjab. The announcement, made by Arvind Kejriwal was based on the outcome of "Janta Chunegi Apna CM" drive where people called in to register their choice of CM candidate. Bhagwant Mann, a two-time AAP MP from Sangrur, received more than 93 percent of the total 21 lakh votes cast through phone and WhatsApp.
  • 17 Jan: The Election Commission has agreed to the request of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to reschedule the Punjab Assembly elections by 6 days. Punjab will now vote on February 20 instead of February 14.
  • 15 Jan: Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president Bhagwant Mann said if his party wins the Assembly elections next month, his government would not tolerate corruption, hooliganism, and dictatorship in Punjab. In a mathematical twist to Punjab's fiscal deficit, he said "Today Punjab has a debt of over three lakh crore and Punjab has a population of three crores. Thus every Punjabi has a debt of one lakh on his head, meaning every child born in Punjab is being born under debt. The wealth of the ruling families of Punjab and the leaders of Congress, BJP, and SAD was steadily increasing."
  • 15 Jan: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the February 14 assembly polls by six days in view of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, he wrote that it was brought to his notice by some representatives of the Scheduled Castes (SC) community, which contributes around 32 percent of the state's population, that the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas falls on February 16 for which approx 20 lakh devotees from the state are likely to visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to 16. "In such a situation, many people from this community would not be able to cast their votes for the state assembly, which is otherwise their constitutional right," he said in the letter dated January 13.
  • 14 Jan: AAP senior leader Harpal Singh Cheema, also the Leader of Opposition announced that more than eight lakh people have responded to the phone number released by the AAP for choosing the party's chief ministerial face in Punjab. The AAP launched the survey 2 days ago under its "Janta Chunegi Apna CM" drive.
  • 13 Jan: Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, party spokesperson Raghav Chadha alleged that the Election Commission, in cahoots with BJP, is working on bringing about changes in existing rules to allow registering a new political party after the announcement of the elections and imposition of a model code of conduct. He mentioned that the party, which he did not name, was being setup by the BJP to stop the AAP from winning assembly elections in Punjab and forming its government in the state. The change in rules involves reducing the period of raising any objection to the registration of a new political party from 30 days to 7 days and the registration process for a new political party.

Arving Kejriwal campaigning in Punjab

  • 12 Jan: The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notice to the AAP for allegedly violating the model code of conduct as it found AAP leaders and workers approaching people in groups of more than five for door-to-door campaigning.
  • 12 Jan: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal unveiled his party's "Punjab Model" which promises justice in sacrilege cases, jobs to youth, free electricity up to 300 units, controlling the drug menace, and corruption-free governance. He asserted that people want to bring his party to power to break the friendly "partnership" between the Badals and the Congress. "When AAP will form government, we will make a new Punjab, which is prosperous and which will usher in growth," he said. In response to AAP's announcement, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu called Arvind Kejriwal a "political tourist". "A list of 10 pointers written by people sitting in Delhi with zero knowledge of Punjab can never be Punjab Model," Sidhu tweeted. 
  • 12 Jan: With just a month to go for the elections, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tested positive for COVID-19. He tweeted to say that he had mild symptoms and had isolated himself.

  • 11 Jan: In an interaction with the media, Navjot Singh Sidhu slighted the Congress' decision of not naming a Chief Minister candidate for the assembly elections by saying, "it is the people of Punjab who will decide who will be the Chief Minister and not the party high command."
  • 09 Jan: Ahead of assembly polls in Punjab, the state's Chief Electoral Officer S. Karuna Raju confirmed that he has been tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 08 Jan: In compliance with the Supreme Court's directives, Sushil Chandra, the Chief Election Commissioner, mandated all political parties to compulsorily explain the reasons behind the selection of candidates with a criminal record and publish the criminal records of the candidates on the EC website. He also said that "winnability" as reason alone will not suffice and that the citizens had the right to know their candidates.
  • 08 Jan: The Election Commission announced the dates for Assembly elections in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. The five states will vote over seven phases starting February 10, with the counting of votes scheduled for March 10. Punjab will vote in a single phase on February 14 along with Goa and Uttarakhand.
  • 07 Jan: Actor Sonu Sood, who earned praise for his philanthropic efforts during the pandemic, announced that he has "voluntarily" stepped down as the "State Icon" of Punjab - a decision that he said was taken "mutually" by him and the Election Commission to avoid conflict of interest. It is widely believed that his sister will be joining a political party to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab.

  • 07 Jan: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi alleged a "deep conspiracy" to impose President’s rule in the state ahead of the Punjab elections. He said, "Where was the threat to his life? Nobody was within a kilometre of you. No stone was thrown, no bullet was fired, no slogans were raised. How can you say, 'I made it alive'! You are saying we want to kill our Prime Minister. Such a sensitive statement from such a big leader. People voted you as Prime Minister and you are expected to make responsible statements." He attributed the conspiracy to the fact that the PM had anyways intended to turn around after 10 km because 70,000 chairs were put at the venue but not even 700 had showed up. "All chairs were empty. But just to ensure that empty chairs are not shown on TV they made up this new thing - 'the PM is in danger, he survived,” he said
  • 05 Jan: Given the surging Covid-19 cases, Punjab Health Minister O.P. Soni suggested that political rallies with huge gatherings should be banned and informed that Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will soon be taking a decision on it."I think, that if we are closing schools and colleges then even rallies with mass gatherings should be banned. But until the Centre issues such guidelines, no decision can be taken," he said.
  • 03 Jan: The All India Bar Association (AIBA) sent a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting it to defer the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Senior advocate Dr. Adish C Aggarwala, Chairman of AIBA stated that a large number of people gather in election rallies without adhering to the Covid protocols. The representation stated that if the elections in these States are not postponed till Omicron Covid-19 is over, it would lead to the deaths of lakhs of people in India despite the best efforts of the Central and State Governments, similar to what happened during the second wave of Covid-19.
  • 03 Jan: At a rally organised in Barnala district, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu promised 2,000 rupees per month for women homemakers if the Congress party is voted to power. In addition, he also promised Rs 5,000 to the students passing fifth grade, Rs 15,000 to the ones passing 10th grade, Rs 20,000 to those passing 12th grade, and finally a two-wheeler to girls taking admission in colleges for further studies. 
  • 01 Jan: During a press conference today, Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal made many promises for the betterment of sanitation workers if his party is voted to power. These include converting temporary sanitation workers into permanent ones and provision of sewer cleaning machines. In addition, he also promised better education for all the children who come from Scheduled Caste families.

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