Punjab CM Mann to administer oath to over 10,000 sarpanches; Kejriwal to attend ceremony

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will administer the oath to 10,031 sarpanches from 19 districts today at a state-level ceremony in Dhanansu, Ludhiana. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to attend as the chief guest.

This event, organized by the AAP-led Punjab government, aims to showcase the party’s strength ahead of by-elections for four assembly seats in the state, with a target of drawing a crowd of 50,000.

Initially, the Punjab government did not mention Kejriwal’s attendance in its media release, though a revised statement later confirmed his role as chief guest.

An additional 3,200 sarpanches from four districts—Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Muktsar, and Barnala—alongside 81,808 panches from all 23 districts, will be sworn in later due to the election code of conduct.

By-elections in these districts are scheduled for November 20, with vote counting set for November 23. Punjab currently has 13,147 gram panchayats across its 23 districts.