Municipal elections across Ropar district on Monday witnessed moderate to heavy polling, intense political posturing and sharp exchanges between rival camps as the ruling AAP, Congress and BJP treated the urban body polls as a crucial political test ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.Polling in five municipal councils and one nagar panchayat remained largely peaceful, though sporadic, heated arguments were reported between supporters of rival candidates at several booths.The overall voter turnout in the district hovered around 70 per cent, reflecting strong public participation despite the scorching weather and fierce political contest.The highest polling was recorded in Kiratpur Sahib Nagar Panchayat, while Nangal Municipal Council registered the lowest turnout among the six urban bodies.The elections were held for municipal councils at Nangal, Anandpur Sahib, Ropar, Chamkaur Sahib and Morinda, besides the Nagar Panchayat at Kiratpur Sahib.From early morning, voters from all sections of society queued up outside polling stations, with women and first-time voters seen participating enthusiastically.Political observers described the polls as a semi-final before the assembly elections, especially because all major parties invested considerable political capital in the campaign.However, the voting process also triggered controversy in border areas adjoining Himachal Pradesh. Several candidates lodged complaints alleging that certain voters were registered both in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and were attempting to cast votes in urban local body elections in both states.Opposition parties, particularly the Congress and BJP, accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of enrolling rural voters in municipal limits to influence the outcome. Leaders of both parties warned that disputed votes could be challenged legally after the elections.Punjab Local Government and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains appealed to voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers and projected the elections as a mandate for development-oriented governance.According to official figures, the six urban bodies together had 1,17,018 voters, including 59,943 men, 57,063 women and 12 voters in the other category. The highest number of voters was in Ropar with 39,788 electors, followed by Nangal with 32,478 voters, while Kiratpur Sahib Nagar Panchayat had the lowest electorate of 4,321.The nearly two-week-long campaign saw aggressive political attacks from all sides.The ruling AAP accused the Congress, which had controlled several municipal councils in the district in previous years, of obstructing urban development and misusing civic bodies.AAP leaders, including minister Harjot Singh Bains and Ropar MLA Dinesh Chadha, promised rapid urban development if the party secured power in the local bodies. They also alleged large-scale corruption during previous Congress-led municipal administrations.On the other hand, Congress leaders launched a counter-offensive against the state government. Former Punjab Assembly Speaker KP Rana, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and district Congress president Ashwani Sharma accused the AAP government of starving municipal bodies of funds and then attempting to politically exploit the resulting civic problems.Congress leaders also openly warned officials against allegedly helping the ruling party during polling and repeatedly told voters that the party expected to return to power in Punjab after the next assembly elections.Meanwhile, the BJP sought to energise its cadre by campaigning in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party’s campaign in Anandpur Sahib constituency was led by state vice-president Subhash Sharma, while district BJP president Ajayvir Singh Lalpura spearheaded efforts in Ropar constituency.The BJP promised major central projects, including the expansion of the NFL plant in Nangal and special tourism packages for Anandpur Sahib, in an attempt to revive its traditional support base in the Anandpur Sahib belt and expand its footprint in the Ropar constituency.