Blind people mark their fingers with indelible ink after voting in elections for five municipalities and 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab in Amritsar on Saturday (Dec 21, 2024). | Photo credit: PTI
Elections to five municipalities and 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab recorded an average 41% voter turnout till 1 pm, officials said on Saturday (Dec 21, 2024).
The polling started at 7 am and will continue till 4 pm amid tight security
“The average polling was 41 percent till 1 pm. After the voting is over, the votes will be counted at the polling station,’ said the official.
Elections are being held in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Phagwara municipalities.
More than 3,300 candidates are in the election field and a total of 3,809 polling stations have been established.
A total of 37.32 lakh voters including 17.75 lakh women are eligible to vote in these elections. Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is being used for voting.
Ignoring the morning cold, the voters queued up at the polling station to cast their votes.
Political leaders who exercised their franchise included BJP’s Tarun Chugh, Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, Ludhiana MLA Ashok Prashar and Jalandhar Cantt. MLA Pargat Singh.
In Patiala, the BJP has alleged that fake polling is taking place at the behest of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
BJP leader Jai Inder Kaur alleged that some outsiders were roaming around and demanded police action against them.
Sushil Nayyar, the BJP candidate from Ward No. 34 in Patiala, threatened to self-immolate, accusing him of casting fake votes in the polling station.
After Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh reached the spot, Ms. Kaur and BJP supporters argued with the officer and claimed that some people were allowed to enter the polling station without proper authentication and that they were casting fake votes.
“No one stopped them. And who is responsible?” BJP supporters asked.
“Voting is being videographed,” replied the SSP.
Earlier, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s daughter Kaur had alleged that AAP MLAs Chetan Singh Jauramazra and Gurlal Ghanoor were outsiders from Ward No. 40 but were present in the area.
In Patiala, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) claimed that its booth in Ward No. 15 was vandalized.
The civic polls will be a litmus test for the AAP, which wants to continue its winning streak after winning three of the four Assembly by-elections in November.
These elections are important because they will reveal the popularity of the ruling party among urban voters.
In the run-up to the elections, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held road shows and campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party candidates.
This will be the first test for Aman Arora after being appointed as AAP’s Punjab unit chief. Mr. Arora campaigned and made many promises to voters.
The stakes are also high for the Congress, which has a majority in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala Municipal Corporations.
BJP and SAD are also contesting the elections.
published – Dec 21, 2024 04:27 pm IST