E-Paper
Chandigarh municipal corporation elections see 60.7% voter turnout
Voting percentage highest in the past six municipal elections in Chandigarh; results to be declared on December 27
A sizeable 60.7% of the city’s 6,33,475 lakh voters on Friday sealed the fate of 203 candidates, as voting for the Chandigarh municipal corporation elections concluded peacefully.
The voter turnout was highest in the past six elections since 1996, although only marginally higher than the last MC elections in 2016, when it was 59.5%. In the 2011 elections too, the voting percentage hovered around 59%.
In the last Lok Sabha elections in the city, in 2019, 73.6% city residents had casted their votes.
At 73.31%, ward 1, comprising Sector 47, Blairmajra, and Faidan and Chahar Taraf in Burail, registered the highest voting, while ward 23 (Sectors 34, 35 and 43) recorded the lowest voter turnout at 42.66%.
Counting of votes and declaration of results is scheduled on December 27.
A total of 212 polling stations were set up in different parts of the city. Among the 694 booths, 220 were declared sensitive. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, a higher number of polling booths were set up.
As voting started at 7.30am, little activity was seen. Till 10am, only 12.37% votes were cast. Voting gradually increased over the day, touching 46.9% by 3pm. At the conclusion of voting (5pm), it finally reached 60.7%.
The wards comprising villages and rehabilitation colonies witnessed heavy rush of voters, with long queues lasting till the last few hours of voting. At some booths, voters, particularly the senior citizens, complained that there were no facilities for them.
In most wards with sectors, voting progressed at a slow pace. Ward 2, which comprises Sectors 1 to 10, saw only 50.8% voting. In comparison, several rural wards logged over 70% polling (see box).
Currently, 103 people are suffering from Covid-19 in Chandigarh. Of these, only two came forward to cast their vote. Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh, said, “We contacted every patient and asked if they wanted to cast their vote. Only two men from Sector 21 showed interest.” The official said the patients were made to wear PPE Kits and taken to the polling station in an ambulance, during the last 30 minutes of voting.
The Aam Aadmi Party alleged multiple instances of bogus voting. Party’s city president Prem Garg said, “In every ward, AAP workers found at least five-six bogus votes being cast. But the actual number can be much higher. We will ask the Election Commission to probe this.” He also complained that the commission didn’t provide the party photo electoral rolls. Congress president Subhash Chawla also claimed that a couple of incidents of bogus voting came to their notice, but added that they wouldn’t impact the election results. Countering AAP’s allegations, BJP’s Chandigarh president Arun Sood said, “These baseless and vague claims are being made only because the party knows that it is losing the election. They have repeatedly made unsubstantial allegations.”
Returning to Chandigarh after a year, local MP Kirron Kher cast her vote at Government Model Nursery School, Sector 7.
Having missed the election campaign due to her poor health, Kher visited Chandigarh especially for the voting day from Mumbai, where she is undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.
While talking to media, Kher said, “The BJP will win the MC elections once again. In our last tenure, we ensured development through various projects. It was Congress leader Pawan Bansal who signed the contract with a private firm to run the garbage processing plant at Dadumajra. We are now cleaning up the mess that Bansal and the Congress made. Now they are trying to put the blame on us.”
Kher added, “Bansal should tell what he and the Congress have done for the city rather than misleading people.”
Lashing out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kher said, “AAP wishes to turn Chandigarh into Delhi, while conditions in the capital are extremely poor. They should instead work on making Delhi like Chandigarh.”
Covid protocols given the go-by
At most polling booths, especially in colonies, the large voter turnout meant long waiting, which led to many lowering their guard. While some voters gave masks a complete miss, others didn’t wear them properly. Even as social distancing circles were marked, voters were seen clinging on to each other, with little effort by authorities to keep a check. Cops, candidates and polling agents, too, did not set the right example, and were seen crowding and moving around without masks.
Elections pass off peacefully
Barring some arguments and face-off between supporters of different parties, the Chandigarh municipal corporation elections passed off peacefully on Friday.
A total of 3,700 police personnel were deployed from various units to maintain law and order, especially at the 52 sensitive polling stations and 220 sensitive booths. “No untoward incident was reported and the elections concluded peacefully,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Chandigarh.
Protests over ‘irregularities’
Protests were staged at two polling stations in Hallomajra and Colony Number 4, Industrial Area, against alleged irregularities during voting on Friday.
Shashi Shankar Tiwari, a former Congress leader and currently heading the Azad Front, a group of independent candidates, alleged, “All polling agents, other than those of the BJP, were sent outside from the polling station in Electricity Office, near Colony Number 4 in ward 9 at 4.30pm.”
Tiwari alleged that they were let in after 45 minutes following protests by his supporters.
At the Hallomajra polling station, the polling agent of an independent candidate left for a while and was not allowed to re-enter. Thereafter, his supporters staged a protest against the election officials. Meanwhile, an official of the Election Commission refuted the allegations.
Face off at PU
Congress and AAP candidates, Sachin and Chandermukhi Sharma, respectively, had heated arguments on the PU campus after the latter objected to the presence of a large number of Congress supporters near Ankur School.
‘Fake’ voter ID cards: One booked, BLO suspended
A day after the AAP alleged distribution of fake voter ID cards in Sector 34, police on Friday registered a case under Sections 419, 170 and 171 of the Indian Penal Code against the accused, Sanjeet Kumar, 34, a resident of Sector 33.
Block level officer (BLO) Vasu, who was entrusted with the job of distributing voter ID cards, was also suspended.
Dhaba owner booked
The owner of a Sector-24 dhaba was arrested for serving liquor on Friday, despite it being declared a dry day by the administration. Pankaj, alias Raju, a resident of Sector 24, was arrested and later granted bail. A case under Section 188 of the IPC was registered.
