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Ludhiana, Bathinda flagged as ‘expenditure sensitive’ by Punjab poll authorities
Ludhiana and Bathinda flagged as 'expenditure sensitive' constituencies for Punjab's general elections on June 1. 42 assembly segments vulnerable to abuse of resources identified.
Lok Sabha seats of Ludhiana and Bathinda have been provisionally flagged as the most ‘expenditure sensitive’ constituencies for the general elections scheduled to be held in Punjab in the last phase on June 1.
According to election authorities, the ‘expenditure sensitive’ constituencies and pockets refer to areas with a high possibility of political parties and candidates attempting to influence voters with freebies — in cash and kind, liquor, coupons and so on. Punjab has 13 LS seats covering 117 assemble segments with 2.12 crore registered voters.
According to the information, the two constituencies— Ludhiana and Bathinda — have 50% or more assembly segments under them which are considered to see the role of money and liquor to woo voters.
Official sources said the authorities of Punjab’s chief electoral officer wrote a letter to the election commission last month in which 42 assembly constituencies, under 12 Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs), are stated as vulnerable to abuse of money and other resources to influence electors.
As per the initial adherence to the standard operation procedure (SoP) laid down by ECI, Sangrur seat, being represented by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president and Khalistan ideologue Simranjit Singh Mann, is the only PC that has been assessed as not vulnerable to use of money etc.
The panthic citable of Khadoor Sahib is the only constituency for which the state election authorities have expressed a threat of drones besides other factors of expenses to influence voters in borders areas of Tarn Taran, Sultanpur Lodhi and Kapurthala.
The communication clarified that the final report on expenditure-sensitive constituencies and pockets will be submitted to the ECI after the declaration of election candidates by the respective political parties.
The Punjab CEO prepared a list of 42 assembly segments vulnerable to abuse of resources following feedback from the police and other enforcement agencies. The database was compiled based on the high value of seizures in the last two state assembly and LS elections.
Ludhiana, a stronghold of the Congress and whose incumbent Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, has the highest number of six segments suspected to be expenditure sensitive.
The hub of industrial activities in the state, Ludhiana has 17.28 lakh voters in nine assembly segments, the highest among all 13 LS seats. As per the information, 60% of these segments namely — Ludhiana East, Ludhiana South Ludhiana West, Dakha and reserved segments of Gill and Jagraon, are listed as expenditure sensitive.
Similarly, of the nine assembly segments in Bathinda, the traditional bastion of the Shiromani Akal Dal (SAD), five segments have been tagged as prone to abuse of resources. These segments are Lambi, Talwandi Sabo, Maur, Mansa and the reserved constituency of Bathinda Rural.
As per the information, 40% of the segments in the LS constituencies of Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib are expenditure-sensitive, while 30% of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib and Ferozepur are considered vulnerable to influence voters through unfair means.
In the Faridkot LS seat, 20% or two assembly segments fall in the category of expenditure sensitive.
Bathinda seat to have common counting centre
Election authorities have approved a common vote-counting facility for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat. The prestigious seat, being represented by SAD’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal for the last three consecutive terms, has nine constituencies from the revenue districts of Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar.
Bathinda deputy commissioner Jaspreet Singh on Wednesday said after voting on June 4, electronic voting machines (EVM) from all nine assembly segments will be brought to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU) campus for counting. “The initiative was taken for easier and better supervision during the counting process at a single location. Halls at the university are air-conditioned and a single location will be convenient for the candidates and the administration,” the DC said.
