Chandigarh, Dec. 19 -- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) put up a spirited fight in the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in Punjab despite facing stiff competition from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other rivals.

The party, which has been facing an existential crisis since its defeat in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, managed to win 445 seats (15%) in the panchayat samiti elections and 46 seats (13%) in 347 zila parishad zones spread across 23 districts.

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had campaigned extensively for the polls, focusing on development, rural upliftment and what he described as the need to "kickstart development" in villages. He highlighted the party's past work in agriculture, health and infrastructure...