Mohali, June 1 -- In the recently concluded Municipal Corporation elections in Mohali, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which emerged as the single largest party with 27 winners in the 50-member House, AAP secured 31,733 votes out of the 93,827 valid votes, translating into a share of 33.83% per cent. The result highlighted the declining influence of traditional parties and the growing impact of independent candidates. The Congress, which was in power in the outgoing House and managed to win 12 wards, followed with 26,692 votes, amounting to a vote share of 28.45% and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with three seats, finished third with 15,800 votes (16.85%). The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) managed only 9,346 votes, representing 9.96% of the total valid votes, but managed to bag four seats, more than the BJP. Independent candidates collectively polled 9,537 votes, accounting for 10.17%, while the None of the Above (NOTA) option received 719 votes, or 0.77%. According to the vote-share analysis, a total of 96,207 votes were cast across the 50 municipal wards. Of these, 2,380 votes, accounting for 2.47%, were rejected. The remaining 93,827 valid votes formed the basis of the electoral calculations. The figures indicate that urban voters in Mohali have increasingly gravitated towards AAP, which succeeded in building a broad support base across several wards. The party's vote share exceeded one-third of all valid votes, giving it a clear lead over its rivals. Congress remained competitive but was unable to convert its vote bank into a winning advantage in many wards despite securing nearly 27,000 votes. One of the most notable aspects of the election was the influence of rejected votes and independent candidates. In several wards, the margin of victory was narrow enough for rejected votes to potentially alter the outcome. Ward 49 recorded the highest number of rejected votes at 298, followed by ward 1 with 245 and ward 48 with 110. In ward 1, the winner prevailed by only 49 votes, making the rejected ballots a significant factor in the final result. Independent candidates also played the role of electoral disruptors. Their presence fragmented traditional vote banks and complicated electoral calculations for major parties. In several wards, independents secured enough votes to influence the contest without necessarily winning. Ward 48 witnessed the strongest performance by an independent candidate, who polled 800 votes, while other wards also saw independents drawing substantial support. The BJP maintained pockets of influence, particularly in select urban wards. The party recorded its highest vote tally in ward 39 with 946 votes, followed by ward 7 with 865 and ward 22 with 764. However, its overall vote share remained well below that of AAP and Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal's performance reflected the party's continued struggle to regain relevance in Mohali's urban political landscape. Failing to reach the 10% vote-share mark, the party lagged considerably behind the three larger political formations. Independent candidates collectively secured 9,537 votes, accounting for 10.17% of the total valid votes cast in the Mohali Municipal Corporation elections. However, while a few independents emerged as influential players in closely fought contests, several others failed to attract meaningful voter support. Among the top independent candidates and winners were Paramjit Singh Kahlon (ward 10) with 881 votes, Kuldeep Kaur (ward 13) with 808 votes, Opinder Kaur Gill with 552 votes and Kulwinder Kaur (ward number 35) with 546 votes. The lowest vote tallies among independent candidates were recorded in ward 14....