The “mini elections” in Punjab, held across 103 urban local bodies on Tuesday, were marked by clashes at several places, with at least 14 persons, including a child, sustaining injuries in separate incidents. The polling percentage recorded in these elections was 63.94 per cent, significantly lower than the 73 per cent recorded during the last urban civic polls held in February 2021. The results will be declared on May 29.
The lower turnout this time is likely to have been influenced by the intense heat through the day. Several incidents of voters fainting while standing in queues due to high temperatures were also reported. Notably, higher polling was recorded in nagar panchayats than in ubran local bodies. Sangat in Bathinda and Joga in Mansa bucked the trend with 88.44 per cent and 85.3 per cent polling.
Clashes were reported at various places between workers of the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, BJP and SAD, with allegations of booth capturing being levelled against the ruling party in Gidderbaha, Majitha and Patti. The allegations were outrightly denied by the State Election Commission.
“There is no report of any such occurrence. We have confirmed this from the election observers there. There was some issue in Ward Number 1 of Samana. The commission has sought clarification from the Patiala administration,” State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari told The Tribune.
Most of the reported clashes occurred between AAP and BJP workers, even as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s own Assembly constituency of Dhuri became embroiled in controversy after a once-close aide of Mann and now BJP worker, Onkar Singh, was detained by the Sangrur police early in the morning on the grounds that an outsider could not remain present during polling.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu then reached the area and looked for him in Dhuri, Sangrur and several police posts, while local police officers attempted to convince him that Onkar would be released after being produced before a duty magistrate.
“I will not leave my workers,” Bittu declared. He left only after Onkar was released and brought before him.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the violence, intimidation and pressure tactics used during the elections were “deeply shameful and completely unacceptable in a democracy”.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal alleged that there was widespread violence by AAP workers across the state. “This violence is aimed at killing democracy at the grassroots level. I salute Punjabis who stood up bravely against this,” he said.
In Bathinda, six persons, including BJP district president Sarup Chand Singla, were allegedly injured by AAP workers. All the injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital. In Barnala, Jasbir Singh, husband of a BJP candidate, was injured in a clash with AAP workers.
In Ramdas town near Ajnala, BJP leader Amarpal Singh Bony Ajnala accused AAP workers of setting up their election booth in a restricted area and alleged misuse of the administrative and police machinery. He also accused AAP leaders of entering polling stations in violation of norms. The booths were later forcibly removed.
In Faridkot, AAP accused the BJP of ferrying voters in an Army bus, while in Fazilka, two persons associated with the BJP were reportedly arrested hours before polling and opium and cash were allegedly seized from them.
In Majitha, two persons were injured in separate incidents after SAD workers objected to the presence of outsiders inside polling booths. Two more persons were injured in Jaito during a clash between AAP and Akali Dal workers.
One person each was reported injured in election-related clashes at Rajpura, Raikot and Samana. In Samana, some persons allegedly pelted stones at the police, following which the police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. A child was injured and admitted to a hospital in Patiala.
In Raikot, Congress candidate Jagdev Singh Jagga was injured in an attack by AAP workers. A similar incident was reported from Rajpura, where Congress worker Gurcharan Singh was injured and his office vandalised.
A clash between AAP and SAD workers was also reported in Gidderbaha, following which SAD lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission. Across several places, complaints were also made regarding voters’ names allegedly being deleted or shifted to other wards. Late at night, allegations also surfaced regarding replacement of ballot boxes in Ward No. 4.
Around 35,000 election officials and 32,000 policemen were deployed to ensure free and fair polling across 1,896 wards in eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 20 nagar panchayats. As many as 740 booths were declared sensitive and 274 hyper-sensitive. A total of 7,555 candidates contested the elections.
