Goa, Dec. 15 -- Polling for Punjab's zila parishad and block samiti elections concluded on a tense note, with allegations of violence and intimidation overshadowing the democratic exercise and voter turnout remaining subdued at 48 per cent across the state.

What was expected to be a routine grassroots election instead turned into a political flashpoint, as Opposition parties accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of subverting the electoral process through alleged intimidation and administrative interference.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) mounted the strongest criticism, alleging that AAP had "stolen" the elections in collusion with the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Punjab Police. Senior Akali leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and...