60% polling in Haryana municipal elections

Nearly 60% voter turnout was recorded as polling remained peaceful in the elections to municipal bodies in Haryana on Sunday, which were held amid tight security

Nearly 60% voter turnout was recorded as polling remained peaceful in the elections to municipal bodies in Haryana on Sunday, which were held amid tight security and in adherence to the pandemic protocol, officials said.

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A total of 56.3% voter turnout was reported in the Sonepat municipal corporation elections, and 69.2% in Rewari municipal council polls, on Sunday. The municipal committees of Sampla (Rohtak), Uklana (Hisar) and Dharuhera (Rewari) recorded 78.1%, 79.2% and 74% voter turnout, respectively.

Elections in municipal corporations of Sonepat, Ambala and Panchkula, municipal council of Rewari, and municipal committees of Sampla, Dharuhera and Uklana were held on Sunday. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 30.

With this, the fate of 10 candidates for the post of mayor in Sonepat MC and 100 nominees locked in 20 wards for the post of councillor will be declared.

As many as six candidates are in fray for the post of president of municipal council of Rewari, and 147 candidates for post of councillors in 31 wards. Ten candidates are contesting for the post of president of Dharuhera (Rewari) municipal committee and 54 nominees for 17 councillors.

Voters started gathering outside polling booths in Sonepat, Sampla, Rewari, Uklana and Dharuhera from 7.45am to cast their vote. Strict guidelines were imposed by the district administrations to ensure smooth polling. The voters were thermal scanned at entry gates of polling booths, social distance guidelines were followed and voters were allowed inside the polling booths only after they wore face masks.

Bottles of hand sanitiser were kept at appropriate locations inside the booths and disposable hand gloves were provided to the voters for signing on the voter register and pressing the EVM button.

The last hour of voting was allotted to the infected patients, who cast their vote while wearing PPE kits. Heavy security arrangements were made to ensure smooth voting.

Stage is set for a direct fight between the BJP-JJP combine, independents and the Congress. The BJP has pitted candidates for the mayor post on all three MC seats apart from president candidate for the municipal council of Rewari. The BJP is contesting the ward elections too but Congress is contesting only the mayoral elections on the three MCs and president election in the municipal council of Rewari. The JJP is contesting the president election in Dharuhera (Rewari) and Uklana municipal committees.

However, earlier this month, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) had announced that it will boycott the municipal polls in protest against the alleged atrocities committed on farmers by the Centre and the state’s BJP-JJP government.

(With agencies inputs)