The Aam Aadmi Party consolidated its control over the Moga Municipal Corporation on Monday with the election of Praveen Sharma as mayor, bringing to an end a 53-day-long vacancy and reinforcing the party’s expanding influence in Punjab’s urban civic bodies. Sharma secured the mayoral position with the backing of 31 councillors in the 50-member House, giving AAP a comfortable majority in the corporation.
The mayor’s post had remained vacant since November 27, 2025, after the removal of former mayor Baljit Singh Chani. At the time, the party had taken swift action by expelling Chani and removing him from office, citing what it said was credible evidence linking him to individuals allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Chani, however, strongly denied the allegations, and by the end of 2025 no criminal case had been registered against him.
The process to elect a new mayor gained momentum earlier this month after a group of councillors approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking intervention to ensure that the prolonged vacancy in the civic body was filled without further delay. Following this, the administration moved ahead with the election schedule.
The voting process was marked by disorder and sharp exchanges inside the District Administration meeting hall, as AAP councillors clashed verbally with members of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Opposition parties, including the SAD and the Congress, eventually walked out of the proceedings, accusing the ruling party of pressuring opposition councillors to influence the outcome. AAP leaders dismissed these allegations, describing them as an attempt to deflect attention from the opposition’s lack of numbers.
Despite the boycott by opposition parties, the election continued in accordance with procedural rules, resulting in Praveen Sharma’s victory. Leaders from the ruling party maintained that the opposition chose to stage a walkout instead of facing an inevitable defeat during the vote.
Following Sharma’s election, AAP said the municipal corporation would now be able to function more effectively. Party leaders indicated that priority would be given to clearing administrative backlogs and speeding up pending civic development works, which they said had been delayed due to the prolonged absence of a mayor.
