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Candidates make final push as campaigning ends in Panchkula
As per orders issued by deputy commissioner of police Himadree Kaushik, liquor vends will also remain closed from 6 pm on May 23 till 6 pm on May 25; they will also remain closed on June 4 till completion of counting of votes and declaration of result
As curtains closed on the campaign trail in Haryana on Thursday, candidates and their supporters left no stone unturned, going door to door in Panchkula to cement the allegiance of the 4.33 lakh voters who will decide their fate at 424 polling booths on May 25.
The district administration imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in Panchkula, banning any large gatherings before the elections. Panchkula district, with its two assembly segments, Kalka and Panchkula, falls under the Ambala constituency.
The BJP, eyeing a hat-trick, is betting on Banto Kataria, a lawyer, to carry forward the legacy of her late husband, former MP Rattan Lal Kataria, who died in 2023. Though a BJP worker since 1980, who worked her way up the ranks to reach the position of the state vice-president, Banto is stepping into an electoral battle for the first time.
The Congress is banking on Varun Chaudhry, the MLA from Mullana and son of former Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana. His campaign is being backed by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU, Chaduni).
Gurpreet Singh, also a lawyer, is contesting on an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket. A Mazhabi Sikh, he has entered the fray in Ambala constituency for the first time.
The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has picked Kiran Punia, a Hindi professor from DAV College (Lahore), Ambala City, and also a poll debutant, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has reposed faith in agriculturist Pawan Kumar, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2005 assembly elections.
School to be closed today, tomorrow; dry days declared
Deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Yash Garg said all schools in the district will remain closed on May 24 and May 25 for the elections.
As per orders issued by deputy commissioner of police Himadree Kaushik, liquor vends will also remain closed from 6 pm on May 23 till 6 pm on May 25. They will also remain closed on June 4 till completion of counting of votes and declaration of result.
Mohali district’s areas bordering Haryana are also observing a dry-day period between May 23 and May 25. Given that Punjab goes to polls a few days later on June 1, the orders will remain in force in the area till June 4, when the counting of votes will take place.
According to district election officer Aashika Jain, these dry day orders will be applicable to liquor shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs as well, where liquor can neither be sold nor consumed. Besides, no person shall store liquor in the given period.
To encourage higher voter turnout, hotels, guest houses and restaurants in Panchkula will be offering 20% discount to residents with inked fingers on May 25.
