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Presidential elections: Polling peaceful in Punjab, 114 MLAs cast vote
Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju said no MP or MLA of other states have cast their vote in the polling place of the state. He said all arrangements were made as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and polling began on schedule at 10 am.
Polling for the 2022 Presidential elections went off peacefully in Punjab, with 114 out of 117 members of legislative assembly (MLAs) turning up to exercise their franchise on Monday. Three MLAs abstained from voting.
Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju said no MP or MLA of other states have cast their vote in the polling place of the state. He said all arrangements were made as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and polling began on schedule at 10 am.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, information and public relations minister Aman Arora, and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa were among prominent members who cast their vote using ballot paper.
After completion of the voting process, ballot box and other documents were sealed in the presence of representatives of the contesting candidates and an observer. The sealed ballot box, along with used and unused election material, was sent to the returning officer in Delhi.
SAD’s Ayali among 3 MLAs who abstained
Three members who abstained from casting their vote included Congress MLAs Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Hardev Singh Shahkot, and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Manpreet Singh Ayali.
Top leaders of Congress party say their two MLAs had to go abroad for some urgent family matter while Ayali abstained under protest as according to him both the parties – Congress and BJP have ignored the welfare of Punjabis and Sikhs.
Ayali, who is the MLA from Dakha constituency and also the leader of the party’s legislature group in the Punjab assembly, said, “People of my assembly constituency want to abstain from voting in today’s poll for the simple reason that both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress governments at the Centre have ignored the issues of Sikhs and Punjabis. So, I have accepted their dictate.”
The two other SAD MLAs, Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi and Ganieve Majithia, however, voted for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s Presidential candidate, Droupadi Murmu.
Ayali admitted he had gone against the dictate of the SAD leadership. Earlier, at a meeting of the party’s core committee, the top decision-making body, the SAD leaders decided to vote for Murmu as she represented the plight of the poor and downtrodden population of the country.
“Yes, I have gone against my party for the sake of my Punjab and Sikhs,” said Ayali.
The lone BSP MLA in the assembly, Nachhatar Pal, voted for the NDA candidate. The BSP and the SAD had forged a pre-poll alliance ahead of the assembly elections of February 20.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is the MP from Ferozepur and his wife, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, will vote for the NDA candidate.
SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said, “The party leadership had decided to vote for Murmu after a lot of deliberations. The party will take call on Ayali’s decision for abstaining.”
