PATIALA — The Punjab government has notified fresh elections in 28 wards of the Patiala Municipal Corporation and directed that the entire process be completed by November 18, 2026, The Tribune and The Times of India reported on Tuesday, October 27. The move follows the Supreme Court's order setting aside the December 2024 election results in these wards.

Source: The Tribune

The notification was issued by Local Government Department Secretary Ghanshyam Thori under Sections 7-A and 7-B of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, and copies were sent to the State Election Commissioner, the Patiala Deputy Commissioner and the Municipal Corporation Commissioner. Babushahi reported that the notification is dated October 23. It does not announce a polling date or a detailed election schedule.

Source: Jugti (reporting The Times of India, The Tribune and Babushahi)

28Patiala MC wards notified for fresh polls
November 18, 2026Deadline to complete the re-election process
30Patiala wards covered by the Supreme Court order in total
13Reserved wards among the 28 notified

Which wards will vote again

According to Babushahi, the wards going back to polls are 1, 4, 6, 12, 14, 16, 22, 26, 28, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55 and 57. Thirteen of them are reserved: nine for women (wards 22, 33, 37, 41, 43, 51, 53, 55 and 57), two for Scheduled Castes (26 and 52) and two for Scheduled Caste women (1 and 45), The Times of India reported. The remaining 15 wards are unreserved.

Why the 2024 results were scrapped

The Supreme Court's September 28 order followed petitions by opposition candidates who alleged — as allegations recorded in their petitions — that they were stopped from filing nomination papers during the December 2024 civic elections; they accused ruling-party workers of obstruction and the police of inaction. In March 2025 the court appointed former High Court judge Justice Nirmaljit Kaur to examine the claims, and the court later accepted her fact-finding report and annulled the results in the affected wards, The Times of India reported. Across Punjab, the court's order covered 50 municipal wards whose elections were set aside — 28 in Patiala district and 22 in Moga district.

Retired judge to monitor every stage

Under the Supreme Court's directions, a monitoring committee headed by retired High Court judge Justice Rajeev Sharma will supervise the re-election. Senior members of the High Court Bar will act as local commissioners for nominations, scrutiny, symbol allotment and polling, and every stage is to be videographed, with the recordings handed to the committee if irregularities are alleged, The Times of India reported. Patiala-datelined reports said the State Election Commission has accelerated preparations to meet the November 18 deadline, including revision of voter lists.

Source: The World Opinion

Two more wards still to be notified

The Tribune reported that the Supreme Court's order covers 30 Patiala wards in all: on October 17 the court added wards 15 and 58, where the fact-finding commission had found evidence of bogus or multiple voting and intimidation. Fresh polls in those two wards are yet to be notified by the state government — a point raised by BJP Patiala president Vijay Kumar Kuka, The Times of India reported. The re-election is expected to heat up activity among ticket seekers in Patiala and is being watched as a test of party organisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.