With 66.08% voting, Dera Bassi top performer in Mohali district

While Dera Bassi and Zirakpur towns of the district fall under the Patiala parliamentary constituency, Mohali town and Kharar are under the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat

After the election commission on Sunday released the updated voter turnout of Mohali district pertaining to Lok Sabha polls on Saturday, Dera Bassi recorded maximum voter among the three assembly constituencies in the district.

A total of 61.01% electors cast their votes across the district, including 66.08% in Dera Bassi, 60.16% in Mohali and 56.8% in Kharar. (HT)

While Dera Bassi and Zirakpur towns of the district fall under the Patiala parliamentary constituency, Mohali town and Kharar are under the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat.

A total of 61.01% electors cast their votes across the district, including 66.08% in Dera Bassi, 60.16% in Mohali and 56.8% in Kharar.

In Dera Bassi, out of the total 1,55,871 male voters, 67.85% (1,05,763) cast their votes as compared to 64% females. Out of 1,41,059 female voters, 90,467 females came out to exercise their right to franchise.

In Mohali, out of 1,21,459 male voters, 62.15% (75,490) males voted as compared to 57.98% females. Out of 1,11,707 females, 64,774 voters polled their votes.

In Kharar, out of the total 1,47,328 male voters, 59.06% (87,017) voted as compared to 54.3% females, as out of total 1,33,256 female voters, 72,365 female voters came to vote.

Despite several efforts by the local administration to motivate third gender voters to reach the polling stations, out of the 39 third gender voters in the district, merely 11 voted, making their turnout 28.2%.

Out of the 21 third gender voters in Dera Bassi, only four of them showed up at the polls, while three out nine in Mohali and four out of nine in Kharar voted on Saturday.

Long queues were seen in the rural areas of the three assembly constituencies of the district while voters in the urban areas chose to skip the polls amid scorching heat.

In Kharar, out of total 1,04,039 voters in rural areas, 62,345 cast their votes making the poll percentage 59.92%. Whereas, in its urban pockets, out of total 1,76,554 voters, only 97,041 (54.96%) individuals voted.

Similarly in Mohali, out of 1,01,774 rural voters, only 65,389 (64.25%) people cast their votes and only 74,878 (56.98%) out of 1,31,401 electors exercised the right to franchise.

In Dera Bassi, out of 94,063 rural votes, 68,597 (72.93%) were recorded. Whereas, out of 2,02,888 urban voters, 127637 (62.91%) showed up on the polling day.

Both Patiala and Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituencies saw a dip in voting percentage.

As per the updated figures, Patiala recorded a turnout of 63.63%, compared to 67.62% in 2019, while Anandpur Sahib witnessed 61.98% turnout, compared to last time’s 65%.

The election, overall, remained peaceful in the district, barring a minor clash between Congress and AAP workers in Mohali. No formal complaint, though, was lodged with the police.

Mohali deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said the electors participated without fear and inducement to cast their votes.

She said the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were also collected from the polling parties.

“Local police, state police and Central Armed Police Force have been deployed at the counting centre in Government Polytechnic in Khooni Majra along with round-the-clock CCTV surveillance. Counting of votes will take place on June 4 for Kharar and Mohali during which adequate counting staff will be deputed,” Jain said.

The counting centre for Dera Bassi has been set up at Punjabi University, Patiala.