Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti polls: SAD, Cong hold protest, allege AAP workers blocked nominations

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress held protests at Bhikhiwind on Wednesday, alleging that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers stopped their party candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress held protests at Bhikhiwind on Wednesday, alleging that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers stopped their party candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress held protests at Bhikhiwind on Wednesday, alleging that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers stopped their party candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls.

The elections are scheduled for December 14, with vote counting to occur three days after the polls.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was present outside the Bhikhiwind Block office, alleged that nomination papers were torn during a melee orchestrated at the behest of AAP.

A scuffle broke out when SAD candidates under the leadership of former Khemkaran MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha tried to enter the office to file papers.

According to reports, Badal’s security personnel had to intervene and rescue Valtoha and his son, Gauravdeep Singh Valtoha, from the crowd.

Following this, workers of SAD and Congress blocked the Bhikhiwind Chowk and raised slogans against the government.

Sukhbir wasn’t allowed to alight from his vehicle by his security staff to join the protest.

“We will not allow this corrupt and failed government to suppress democracy at any cost,” Sukhbir said. He also called up the state election commissioner to apprise him of the situation.

During a speech to party workers in Patti, Sukhbir alleged that AAP was employing “underhand methods” in the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections because it was afraid of being completely rejected by the voters.

Meanwhile, Congress block president Gurmukh Singh Sandpura said that in the morning, when they arrived to submit their candidates’ forms, AAP workers pushed and pulled them, snatched papers from one candidate, tore the file, and prevented others from submitting their documents. “AAP’s high-handedness was an assault on democracy,” he added.

Subsequently, Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Surendra Lamba visited the dharna site and ensured that all candidates filed their nomination papers.

SDM Bhikhiwind Simranjit Singh also arrived at the site. After discussions with the returning officer, an agreement was reached with Gauravdeep that his and other nominations would be accepted, and receipts would be issued the next morning.

Following this agreement, Gauravdeep personally presented each of the 23 SAD candidates before the returning officer and submitted their nomination files.

A SAD delegation led by its legal cell chairman, Arshdeep Singh Kler, filed a written complaint with the state election commission (SEC) on the alleged non-cooperation of local election officials in various districts and urged it to issue requisite directions to comply with the model code of conduct.

Congress MLA Pargat Singh too targeted the AAP government, accusing it of misusing police and district administration officials to threaten and prevent opposition candidates from filing their nomination papers. He urged the SEC to issue strict directions to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections and to prevent the misuse of government machinery. The government, he said, is employing every possible tactic to secure victory and is willing to go to any extent, he alleged in a statement.

“Opposition party candidates are being intimidated by police officials and threatened over the phone,” he alleged. He pointed out that while Sukhbir Badal held a protest in Tarn Taran district, former Congress MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur staged a similar protest in Patiala against the alleged highhandedness.

Pargat demanded that the SEC ensure a complete videography of the entire election process, including not only the filing of nomination papers but also the polling phase, to guarantee transparency.

Local AAP MLA (Khemaran) Sarwan Singh Dhun refuted the charges and said that Virsa Singh Valtoha was responsible for the scuffle. “All the candidates were standing in queues to file papers. Minutes before the 3pm deadline, he (Virsa Singh Valtoha), along with the candidates, appeared and started challenging those who were already there to file the papers. This led to the scuffle. In the Valtoha block of my constituency, all the candidates filed the papers peacefully because he was not present there,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)