Counting of votes for Punjab municipal elections underway

Chandigarh, Dec 21 (PTI) Counting of votes for the elections to five municipal corporations and 44 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab is underway, officials said on Saturday.

Polling began at 7 am and continued till 4 pm amid tight security arrangements. Till 3 pm, the average turnout was 55 per cent.

The five municipal corporations that went to the polls are Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Phagwara.

More than 3,300 candidates are in the fray and a total of 3,809 polling booths have been set up for the civic polls.

A total of 37.32 lakh voters, including 17.75 lakh females, were eligible to cast their vote in the elections conducted using electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alleged casting of fake votes at the behest of the Aam Aadmi Party at many places in Patiala, a charge denied by the ruling party.

There were also reports of scuffles and heated exchanges between AAP and BJP supporters in Patiala.

Among political leaders who exercised their franchise were BJP’s Tarun Chugh, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Ludhiana MLA Ashok Prashar and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh.

BJP leader Jai Inder Kaur alleged that some outsiders were roaming around in Patiala, demanding police action against them.

BJP candidate from Ward No. 34 in Patiala, Sushil Nayyar, threatened to self-immolate after alleging that fake votes were being cast at a polling booth.

After Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh reached the spot, Kaur and BJP supporters were seen arguing with the officer, claiming that some people were being allowed to enter polling booths without proper verification and they were casting fake votes.

“Nobody was stopping them. And who is responsible for it,” asked a BJP supporter.

“Videography of polling is taking place,” the SSP responded.

Earlier, Kaur, daughter of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, alleged that AAP MLAs Chetan Singh Jauramajra and Gurlal Ghanaur were outsiders to Ward No. 40 yet they were present in the area.

The party also lodged a complaint against Jauramajra and Gurlal with the state election commission, seeking registration of an FIR against the duo for violating model code of conduct.

The BJP also claimed some miscreants targeted its party nominee from Ward No. 40 at AAP’s behest.

Even SAD claimed that its booth in Ward No. 15 in Patiala was vandalised.

The BJP also sought registration of an FIR against Mani Warring, brother of AAP MLA Garry Warring, and AAP supporters for alleged bogus voting in Ward No. 9 at Amloh in Fatehgarh Sahib.

The civic polls will be a litmus test for AAP, which would like its winning momentum to continue after securing victories in three of the four Assembly bypolls in November.

The elections are also important as they will reveal the popularity of the ruling party among the urban voters.

In the run-up to the elections, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held roadshows and campaigned for AAP candidates.

It will also be the first test for Aman Arora after he was appointed AAP’s Punjab unit chief. Arora took part in poll campaign and made several promises to the voters.

The stakes are also high for Congress, which has majority in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala municipal corporations.