71% turnout in Punjab municipal polls amid stray violence

Barring few incidents of scuffle between workers of political parties and isolated cases of police resorting to cane-charging to disperse unruly crowds, polling for 117 civic bodies in Punjab remained peaceful on Sunday

Barring few incidents of scuffle between workers of political parties and isolated cases of police resorting to cane-charging to disperse unruly crowds, polling for 117 civic bodies in Punjab remained peaceful on Sunday. The overall turnout was 71.4%. In the previous civic body elections for six municipal corporations held in February 2015, 69% polling was recorded.

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This time, elections have also been held for eight municipal corporations. These polls have been delayed by at least six months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Polling in Mohali district was the lowest at 60%, while the highest turnout was 83% in Mansa. Punjab cabinet ministers were seen in the field welcoming voters to polling stations. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadre and its leaders remained low-key.

The SAD and the BJP contested these polls separately, after the Akalis broke up with the saffron party last year over the three agri-laws passed in Parliament.

The State Election Commission (SEC) had set up 4,102 polling stations, of which 1,708 were sensitive and 861 hypersensitive. Over 19,000 police personnel were deployed.

At least five persons were injured in scuffles between political parties. At most places, the saffron party was unable to put up its polling camps, generally done by the workers of all political parties outside polling stations, with farmers opposing this.

In these elections, 9,222 candidates were in fray for municipal corporations and A and B-grade councils. Of total nominees, 2,037 are from the Congress; 1,606 of the principal opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP); 1,569 of the SAD, and 1,003 nominees belong to the BJP. Elections for C-level councils are being held without party symbols.

Three firing incidents were reported, including two in Patti and Bhikhwind towns of border district Tarn Taran. At both places, the workers of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress clashed after an argument over allegations of bogus voting. Firing was also reported from Sultanpur Lodhi in Jalandhar.

A BJP leader was hurt in a clash with Congress supporters in Batala. In a group clash between SAD supporters and the Congress in Fatehgarh Churian, police resorted to a mild cane-charge to disperse crowd. In Pathankot, BJP state president Ashwini Sharma staged a dharna, alleging that a party worker’s house was attacked with swords by Congress workers.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has termed the polls as completely peaceful, saying that it did not receive any complaint.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal wrote on twitter, “Failed on all fronts, Congress leaders knew they would lose, so they resorted to booth capturing and violence. (It’s a) shame on the state election commission for its absolute incompetence.” Congress state president Sunil Jakhar thanked voters for peaceful polls. The counting of votes will take place on February 17 and it will be a dry day for liquor in the state.

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Strap

Allegations of bogus voting, booth capturing by oppn parties; state election commission terms polls as completely peaceful, even as state BJP chief protests in Pathankot

Headline

The highs and the lows

Intro

HT brings you the top three districts in terms of the highest turnout and the lowest turnout.

Highest turnout districts

Mansa 83%

Bathinda 79%

Sangrur 77.4%

Lowest turnout districts

Mohali 60%

Tarn Taran 63.1%

Moga 69.5%