Chandigarh, May 12 -- Ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, the state is set to witness a crucial round of civic polls, with the State Election Commission announcing voting for 105 municipal bodies, including eight municipal corporations, on May 26. The election, whose results will be declared on May 29, is widely viewed as a political "semi-final" before the high-stakes assembly contest due in early 2027. With this, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force with immediate effect, announced Raj Kamal Chaudhuri, state election commissioner. "The MCC has come into force for the polls to elect the members of eight municipal corporations, 76 municipal councils and 21 nagar panchayats in the state," he said. Chaudhuri said the elections will be held for the eight municipal corporations of Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala, Pathankot and the newly upgraded municipal corporation of Barnala. These cities represent key urban pockets where issues such as infrastructure, sanitation, employment, law and order, and civic governance dominate voter concerns. The results are expected to offer an indication of the prevailing political mood, especially in urban Punjab, with the election expected to witness a multi-cornered fight among the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit). Riding on its recent victory in West Bengal, the BJP is anticipating good results in Punjab as well, while opponents, particularly AAP, say these elections will show a mirror to the saffron party as it has no public base in the state. For the ruling AAP government, the civic polls will serve as a litmus test of its governance record over the past few years. In separate municipal corporation elections held last year, AAP had won in all five cities - Patiala, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Phagwara - amid opposition allegations of vote-rigging. Later, AAP also won most of the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti polls. "The party is ready for the civic elections. It will be a mandate on our good governance, while BJP's agenda will be defeated," said cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema. For opposition parties, including the BJP, Congress and SAD, the municipal elections offer a fresh opportunity to showcase organisational strength, revive cadre morale and test electoral strategies. A strong urban performance could provide much-needed momentum and shape alliances and narratives ahead of the assembly elections. "We welcome the announcement of the local bodies elections by the Punjab State Election Commission. We are confident of doing well in these elections across the state," said Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, urging the election commission to ensure free and fair polls....