Punjab Election 2022 Date Out: Check Polling Day, Counting Date | FULL SCHEDULE RELEASED

Punjab Assembly Election 2022 Date Schedule: Punjab elections will be held to elect 117-members. The term of the current Punjab assembly, elected in 2017, will expire on March 27, 2022.

117-seat Punjab assembly is going to polls this year | Original Photos: Getty

New Delhi: Five states are due for assembly elections in 2022, and the dates for polling in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand have been announced. 

Punjab assembly election 2022 will be held to elect 117 MLAs. The term of the current Punjab assembly, elected in 2017, will expire on March 27, 2022. The final voter list for Punjab Legislative Assembly Election 2022 was released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) earlier this week.

Punjab Assembly Election 2022 — Polling Date, Schedule & Counting Day

A total of 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab will be going to the polls to elect MLAs for the 16th Punjab assembly. The schedule for the 2022 Punjab Assembly Election is mentioned below with dates for the polls and counting of votes, as listed in the ECI notification:

The voting in Punjab will take place in one phase on February 20 (Monday). 

The counting of votes will take place on March 10, 2022 (Thursday).

Punjab Legislative Assembly Schedule:

1.      Date of Notification: 25th January 2022 (Tuesday)

2.      Last date of Nomination: 1st February 2022 (Tuesday)

3.      Date of Scrutiny: 2nd February 2022 (Wednesday)

4.      Date of Withdrawal: 4th February 2022 (Friday)

5.      Date of Poll: 20th February 2022 (Sunday).

Punjab Legislative Assembly Election 2017

The state of Punjab witnessed a Congress surge which catapulted them to the ruling position after it had lost battleground in most of the states. Under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh, Congress was able to wrest 77 of the 117 assembly seats to come in power.

BJP with its major alliance partner in the state Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) were able to secure only 18 seats. SAD bagged 15 out of the 94 seats it had contested on and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 3 of the 23 seats it fielded candidates.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contesting the Punjab Assembly after a better 2014 Lok Sabha outing was the headline grabber. It was able to gain 20 seats in its maiden outing.

Punjab Legislative Assembly Election - Pre Poll Alliance

Much water has crossed the bridge since the Punjab assembly election 2017, the then chief minister and Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh has left the post and the party after months of infighting involving him and Navjot Singh Sidhu who was elevated to state party chief's position.

Capt Amarinder Singh already has floated a new party named Punjab Lok Congress and will contest Punjab assembly polls 2022 in alliance with BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

After Amarinder Singh left, Congress is facing an uphill task balancing between the new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Much has changed for BJP as well, as its long-time alliance partner SAD parted ways and has joined hands with the BSP. The old alliance between BJP and SAD broke off over the three contentious farm laws.

AAP is not the new entrant anymore and is being looked like the title favourite for the upcoming Punjab assembly election. AAP Convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal himself has been at the forefront of the party's poll campaign in Punjab.

AAP Lok Sabha MP Bhagwant Mann is one of the known faces in the state and can be AAP's CM candidate. However, so far, AAP has not named anyone as its CM candidate leaving much room for speculations.