The Municipal Council elections in Khanna witnessed high drama and protests on Tuesday after former minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli raised allegations of large-scale deletion of votes and movement of AAP volunteers inside polling stations in different wards of the city.
Tension prevailed outside the polling station set up at Himalaya Senior Secondary School in Ward 5 after several residents claimed that their names were missing from the voters’ list despite possessing official voter slips. The issue triggered protests outside the polling booth, where Kotli joined local residents and raised objections against the alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls.
The controversy intensified after Congress candidate Neeru Rani, contesting from Ward 5, allegedly found that her vote was missing from the voters’ list of the ward from where she was contesting the elections. Later, her vote was reportedly traced to another polling booth, triggering resentment among her supporters and local residents.
Residents alleged that many voters reached the polling station early in the morning with voter slips issued by the authorities but polling officials informed them that their names were not available in the final electoral rolls. Several residents claimed they had been voting from the same booth for years and were shocked to discover that their names had allegedly been deleted.
As protests intensified, the former minister accused the administration of serious lapses and alleged that similar complaints of vote deletions were being received from several wards across the city.
He also staged another protest in Ward 15 after alleging that AAP volunteers and outsiders were moving freely inside polling stations and issuing voter slips on the spot. Heated arguments were witnessed between Kotli and some persons present near the polling area, following which Congress workers and residents raised slogans outside the booth and demanded strict action from the election authorities.
Kotli alleged that the ruling AAP government was making every possible effort to “kill democracy” during the civic body elections. He claimed that genuine voters were being deprived of their democratic rights through deletion of votes while ruling party volunteers were allegedly influencing the polling process from inside booths.
“The administration must ensure free and fair elections. Genuine voters are being harassed despite carrying valid voter slips. We are receiving complaints of vote deletions from several wards, while AAP volunteers are moving inside polling stations and issuing slips on the spot,” Kotli alleged while addressing protesters.
He said formal complaints regarding the alleged irregularities had been submitted to the poll authorities and demanded immediate intervention to ensure transparent polling.
SDM Swati Tiwana said, “I have received a complaint and the issue was resolved as voters have been given their polling booth where they can cast votes and officials were deputed to resolve their other issues.”
Kotli alleged booth capturing was held at Ward 15 where booth number 60 and 61 were captured by volunteers of AAP, which was a serious issue and black day of democracy.
Meanwhile, election officials maintained that polling was being conducted peacefully and any complaint received from candidates or residents would be examined as per rules.
