A day after the Aam Aadmi Party recorded a victory in the Punjab municipal elections, newly appointed state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon accused the ruling party of resorting to large-scale rigging and using state machinery to intimidate opposition candidates.Newly appointed Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon calling on senior party leader Manoranjan Kalia at his residence in Jalandhar on Saturday. (HT Photo)Speaking during a visit to senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar on Saturday, Dhillon claimed that while ruling parties historically influence local polls, the AAP broke all records to win at any cost. He cited an instance where an AAP lawmaker from Shutrana publicly threatened opponents to stay indoors on polling day, and alleged that a BJP candidate was grievously injured in Barnala, while others had their nomination papers rejected late at night despite prior approval.Out of 1,977 municipal wards across 102 bodies, the AAP emerged victorious in 958 wards, followed by Congress with 397, the Shiromani Akali Dal with 192, and the BJP with 172, while independents secured 251 seats and the BSP won seven.Despite the alleged disruptions, Dhillon said that the BJP performed fairly by securing key seats in various corporations and committees.Rejecting Dhillon’s claims, AAP state president Aman Arora labelled them “completely ridiculous and a poor excuse for a humiliating defeat.” Invoking a traditional proverb, “(Naach na jaane angan tedha)”, to suggest the BJP was merely blaming the tools for its own shortcomings, Arora countered that the saffron party failed to even field candidates across all 1,977 wards despite its status as a national entity.He said that the BJP had previously framed these local polls as a semi-final ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, but was now retreating into baseless accusations after losing ground.Later, Dhillon travelled to Amritsar to meet Radha Soami Satsang Beas chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon.He also visited former Union minister Som Prakash in Phagwara.Addressing speculation regarding a potential coalition with the Shiromani Akali Dal, Dhillon clarified that no such dialogue is on the table, reaffirming that the BJP remains committed to contesting all 117 assembly constituencies on its own.