E-Paper
Mohali records 76.9% voter turnout in panchayat polls
Dera Bassi block recorded a maximum of 81.04% polling, while Majri block polled 79.43% votes; Kharar polled 79.15% votes and Mohali witnessed the lowest polling figures of 76.9%
Mohali district recorded a voter turnout of 76.9% during the Gram Panchayat elections which were held from 8 am to 4 pm on Tuesday.
As many as 63 of the total 266 gram panchayats in the district saw their sarpanches being elected unopposed.
At 81.04%, Dera Bassi block recorded the maximum polling, followed by Majri block with 79.43% turnout and Kharar block with 79.15%. Mohali block witnessed the lowest polling with 68.12% voters participating in the poll process.
The polling process concluded peacefully amid heavy deployment of police. Notably, in Bar Majra village, which houses the maximum migrant population in the district, out of the seven sarpanch candidates, six were migrants, besides one native candidate Gurnam Singh, who went on to win the election.
Deputy commissioner (DC) Aashika Jain, who was also the district election officer, congratulated the polling staff and security personnel deputed at polling booths, for smooth election operations.
She said supervisory officers, including ADC (General) Viraj S Tidke, ADC (D) Sonam Chaudhary, Mohali MC commissioner T Benith, Mohali SDM Damandeep Kaur, Dera Bassi SDM Amit Gupta, Kharar SDM Gurmandar Singh, MC joint commissioner Deepankar Garg, assistant commissioner (General) Ankita Kansal and district revenue officer Amandeep Chawla monitored and conducted the entire election process in a free, fair and transparent way.
Expressing gratitude to senior superintendent of police (SSP) Deepak Pareek, the DC said the security deployment plan for the polling worked well, besides the close monitoring by the SSP, SPs and DSPs.
Congress alleges fraud in counting of votes
While polling concluded peacefully, several protests erupted during counting of votes.
After Congress candidates lost in Jujhar Nagar and Bar Majra, besides other areas, Congress supporters and senior leaders, including Mohali mayor Amarjeet Singh Sidhu and his brother and former state health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, blocked the Balongi-Kharar highway near Verka Chowk around 11 pm, alleging fraud in counting of votes.
“Our candidates were not permitted near the counting area while candidates of AAP and other parties were even allowed inside. With their connivance, the officials declared AAP candidates victorious even when Congress candidates were leading with big margin,” the mayor alleged. Heavy force was deployed along the road as protesters raised anti-government slogans. Even in Dera Bassi, Congress supporters held a protest, accusing officials of cheating, following which police were called in to control the situation.
