Chandigarh MC polls: At 57%, turnout nears all­-time best, re-polling in Maloya booth (ward 7)

The city was all set to record its highest-ever turnout in the 5th municipal corporation election on Sunday with the turnout in 25 wards recorded at 57.2%. However, repolling in booth number 14 in Maloya (ward 7) meant that that the final turnout figure will now be compiled after it is held on Monday.

The city was all set to record its highest-ever turnout in the 5th municipal corporation election on Sunday with the turnout in 25 wards recorded at 57.2%. However, repolling in booth number 14 in Maloya (ward 7) meant that that the final turnout figure will now be compiled after it is held on Monday.

Voters outside a polling station at the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking workshop in Industrial Phase-1 (ward 20) in Chandigarh on Sunday. (Keshav Singh/HT Photo)

Sources said this was ordered after the number of voters was found to be more than those on the voter list.

When this ward’s figure is finally calculated, the total turnout could reach above 60% of the first time in five elections. In the previous four MC elections, such repolling has never been ordered.

Flying Sikh Milkha Singh and wife came out to vote in a golf cart in Sector 8 on Sunday; and (right) Member Parliament Kirron Kher cast her vote at the Nursery School in Sector 7. (Keshav Singh/ HT Photo)

The city voted for the first time to elect its House in 1996 when the turnout was 46%. In 2001, only 31.8% of the electorate exercised its franchise. In 2006, the turnout was 45.2%.

It was encouraging to note so many people turning out to vote for the MC elections. I thank Chandigarh voters who exercised their right to vote in favour of BJP-SAD candidates.

Sanjay Tandon, Chandigarh BJP Chief

Ward 1 (Sectors 1 to 11) which was among the areas that recorded the lowest polling percentage in 2011 of 52%, has a 49 % turnout this time.

Ward 24 (Mauli Jagran) recorded the highest voting percentage at 74 %. The lowest was recorded in ward 17 (Sectors 18, 19 and 21) recorded the lowest polling at 42 %. Voting picked up in most of the wards in the afternoon, while in colonies and southern sectors, long queues formed since morning. Official time for voting to conclude was 5pm, yet voting continued till in ward 7 ( Maloya) till 8.45 pm, before the repolling was ordered in its boot.

COMPLAINTS OF NAMES MISSING FROM VOTER LIST

In Colony number 4, some people complained that their names were missing from the voter list.

Urmila Devi from Colony number 4 said, “I had my voter identity card and even voters slip also, but when I went inside the booth, they said, my name is not there and I cannot cast my vote.”

I thank residents for voting in such large number. The BJP has misused the official machinery by allowing bogus voting. Police was silent and enforced the law only for Congress voters.

Pardeep Chhabra, Chandigarh Congress chief

Gurjusjit Singh of Sector-22 said, “In our sector, some policemen stopped people from voting even they were having voter I-card.” Former Union minister Pawan Bansal exercised his vote with his family members at around 9am. City MP Kirron Kher cast her vote at10.30am at a polling station in Sector 7.

SEC CALLS MEETING OF MALOYA CANDIDATES

Late Sunday night, state election commissioner SK Srivastava called Maloya candidates to a meeting at the UT Guest House. Here, former Congress mayor HC Kalyan is pitted against BJP’s Rajesh Kalia.