Chandigarh, Dec. 15 -- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) launched a sharp attack on the Punjab government and the State Election Commission over the recently held Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections on Sunday, alleging large-scale irregularities and a complete erosion of public trust in the electoral process.

SAD senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the party had repeatedly flagged concerns even before polling, but they went unaddressed. "We had expressed our apprehension that the government has no intention of conducting a free and fair election. The State Election Commission has totally surrendered to the government," Cheema alleged. He claimed that poor voter turnout reflected growing public disillusionment. "The public's trust...