The results of the municipal council elections in Ropar district have not only determined the composition of local urban bodies but have also provided a glimpse into the evolving political landscape ahead of the Assembly polls. While the ruling AAP has been strengthened in key pockets, the verdict has exposed deep divisions within the Congress in the Assembly constituency and underscored the continuing decline of the SAD in the district.The Congress managed to secure only one seat in the Ropar municipal council, triggering a fresh blame game among rival camps. Congress leaders, owing allegiance to former MLA Barinder Singh Dhillon and District Congress Committee president Ashwani Sharma, have accused each other of undermining the party’s prospects. Sharma’s supporters alleged that the Dhillon camp sabotaged the election of party candidates, while Dhillon loyalists countered that the district leadership could not even field candidates in all wards.The poor show is the latest setback for a party that has been weakened in the constituency over the past decade. Dhillon himself suffered consecutive defeats in the last two Assembly elections.The picture, however, was relatively brighter for the Congress in the Anandpur Sahib Assembly segment. In the Nangal municipal council, the party emerged as the single-largest group by winning eight wards.Former Speaker and senior Congress leader KP Rana alleged irregularities in the counting of votes and claimed that the final results did not reflect the actual mandate. Rana also maintained that six Independent candidates, who emerged victorious in the Kiratpur Sahib nagar panchayat, were backed by the Congress. The claim, however, has been strongly disputed by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who credited the victories to local factors and support for the ruling party.For the SAD, the results offer little comfort. Once a dominant political force in several parts of Ropar, the party’s footprint continues to shrink. It failed to field candidates for the Nangal MC poll and could not win a single seat in the Anandpur Sahib MC. The party managed to secure only one seat in Kiratpur Sahib, three seats in Ropar and one seat in Morinda, while drawing a blank in Chamkaur Sahib.Political observers note that the Akali Dal’s influence, particularly in the Ropar and Chamkaur Sahib Assembly constituencies where it once enjoyed considerable support, has steadily eroded over the years.AAP, meanwhile, has reasons to celebrate. The party performed strongly in Anandpur Sahib, represented by minister Bains, and in the Ropar Assembly constituency, represented by MLA Dinesh Chadha. The results suggest that the party continues to enjoy substantial support in urban areas of these constituencies.However, the verdict was not uniformly favourable for AAP across the district. In Chamkaur Sahib Assembly seat, represented by AAP MLA Charanjit Singh, the Congress succeeded in capturing both the Chamkaur Sahib and Morinda MCs. The outcome indicates that despite being in power at the state level, AAP faces pockets of resistance where local factors and candidate selection continue to play a decisive role.