Civic polls: 71% turnout in Doaba, 15 booked for violence in Sultanpur Lodhi

Seventy one per cent voters cast ballot on Sunday in 23 urban local bodies of the Doaba region comprising Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts

Seventy one per cent voters cast ballot on Sunday in 23 urban local bodies of the Doaba region comprising Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.

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One incident each of poll violence took place in Sultanpur Lodhi town of Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. In Sultanpur Lodhi, 15 persons were booked in two cases of violence after the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers clashed and hurled stones at each other near the block and panchayat development office in the evening.

The Akali workers alleged that Congress activists even fired bullets in the air. “The ruling party workers tried to disrupt the election process right under the administration’s nose,” SAD leader Sajjan Singh Cheema said.

Kapurthala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur said they are identifying those involved in the incident involving firing in the air. “At least two persons were injured in the stone pelting,” she said.

In Hoshiarpur district’s Garhdiwala town, BJP district (rural) president Sanjiv Minhas’ car was attacked by some people said to be farmers’ sympathisers. The incident took place when a crowd gathered outside the Bharatiya Yuva Morcha office and asked him to leave. When he came out, the protesters raised anti-BJP slogans and hit his car with rods. The police gave him a safe passage.

The BJP leader alleged that the attack was carried out by Congress goons. There was a huge enthusiasm in voters but booths of BJP witnessed comparatively low turnout.

The Kapurthala municipal corporation (MC) witnessed 62.16% polling with 42,201 votes while in Sultanpur Lodhi, 75.89% voters cast ballot. The district polled 69.16 votes. In Hoshiarpur district, the polling went off largely peacefully with over 72.15% votes polled in 10 municipalities.

In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, 69.71% votes were polled in SBS Nagar, Rahon and Banga civic bodies. In ward no 12 of SBS Nagar, former MC president Lalit Pathak Ballu came in direct confrontation with local Congress MLA Angad Singh Saini. SBS Nagar SSP Alka Meena said they had stationed adequate personnel in the hypersensitive or sensitive wards.

In Jalandhar district, 71.92% voter turnout was witnessed in 8 urban local bodies. As many as 74.74% women exercised their franchise against 71.92% votes polled by men.