Amritsar, November 20, 2025 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) – The Punjab is bracing for a crucial round of zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections expected in the second half of December, marking the rural ballot politics in seven years. The State Election Commission is likely to issue the formal notification any time after Gurpurab of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib ji, setting the stage for a contest that will offer an early reading of voter sentiment ahead of the 2027 general Assembly elections.
Officials indicated that polling for these Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) could take place on Sunday, December 14. The last elections were held in September 2018 during the Captain Amarinder Singh government while the Akali–BJP coalition had conducted the previous round in May 2013. The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has already informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that elections would be completed before December 5, citing delays caused by this year’s floods.
The state administration had already finalised the zoning structure for all 23 district councils and 154 samitis. Deputy commissioners across districts have been issuing notifications on zoning and reservation categories. This time, zones have been redesigned with the block as the primary unit and several blocks have undergone structural changes that have shifted certain villages from one block to another.
The PRI elections are expected to be conducted on the basis of the January 2025 voter list. Punjab had 1.33 crore registered voters during the panchayat polls held in October 2024 and officials expect the updated list to guide this round as well.
All political parties see the rural ballot as a key barometer. The outcome will offer a clear sense of how Punjab’s countryside is responding to various political narratives. The BJP has already announced that it will contest all seats independently on its own symbol while the Shiromani Akali Dal is preparing to enter the fray with full organisational strength. For both national and regional players, the results will signal which way the rural pulse is moving as the countdown to 2027 begins.
