Haryana municipal elections updates: Polling underway amid strict Covid norms

“The elections will be held for the Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat municipal corporations; Rewari municipal council and municipal committees of Sampla in Rohtak, Dharuhera in Rewari and Ukalana in Hisar districts, officials had told news agency PTI on Friday.

Voting for municipal elections in Haryana started at 8am today and will go on till 5.30pm. Elections are being held for three municipal corporations, three municipal committees and one municipal council in the state. This time, the elections are seeing a direct face-off between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Jannayak Janata Party (BJP-JJP) alliance and the Congress party. The counting of votes and declaration of results will be on December 30.

Voters were seen lined up at polling booths in Panchkula to exercise their franchise. (ANI Photo)

“The elections will be held for the Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat municipal corporations; Rewari municipal council and municipal committees of Sampla in Rohtak, Dharuhera in Rewari and Ukalana in Hisar districts, officials had told news agency PTI on Friday.

Voters were seen lined up at polling booths in Panchkula to exercise their franchise. This is the first time that voters would poll to directly elect their mayoral candidate in this municipal corporation. There are six candidates for the post of Mayor and 83 councillor candidates are contesting from 20 wards.

Amid the prevailing coronavirus (Covid-19) situation in the country, strict guidelines have been imposed to ensure the polling process takes place in a smooth manner. Some of these guidelines are- thermal scanning of voters at entrance of polling booths, social distancing between voters, wearing of face mask/covering, mandatory sanitisation of booths etc. The last hour of polling has been alloted to the infected patients- who will cast their votes while wearing PPEs.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections, officials said adding that security has been beefed up at polling booths located in sensitive and hypersensitive areas.

While the BJP-JJP alliance, which is also the ruling government in the state with Manohar Lal Khattar as CM and Dushyant Chautala as deputy CM, has played the development card this year, the main opposition Congress has targeted the alliance on a number of issues such as employment, law and order and the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

(With agency inputs)