Polling for the four civic bodies in the district concluded on Tuesday amid incidents of violence reported from several wards of the Majitha municipal council.
Two youths associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), including one who sustained a serious head injury, were injured in separate incidents and admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.
Senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that unprecedented violence was witnessed in Majitha during polling. Accusing the police administration of failing to ensure fair elections, Majithia demanded strict action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters allegedly involved in the violence.
Majithia further alleged that one of the accused persons was seen carrying a weapon inside a polling booth, but the police failed to take notice. In Majitha, the municipal council elections turned into a direct political contest between Majithia and his former aide Talbir Singh Gill, who is now the halqa in-charge of the AAP.
The AAP had earlier managed to win two of the 15 wards unopposed, while opposition parties accused the administration of misusing official machinery to reject nomination papers.
In Ramdas, BJP workers led by senior leader and former MLA Amarpal Singh Bony Ajnala staged a protest against the police and accused ruling party MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal of intimidating voters.
Polling for the civic bodies of Majitha, Rayya, Jandiala Guru and Ramdas was held during the day. However, voters faced considerable inconvenience due to the lack of shade arrangements amid the sweltering heat.
In Majitha, several elderly and differently-abled voters were either carried to polling booths or seen crawling on the road to cast their votes. The administration later arranged a few wheelchairs to assist such voters. At many polling stations, people were forced to stand in the open even during the afternoon heat.
According to the district election office, Ramdas recorded the highest voter turnout at 72 per cent, followed by Majitha at 62 per cent, Jandiala Guru at 57.08 per cent and Rayya at 53.06 per cent.
