The Punjab State Election Commission (PSEC) will begin counting of votes today (17 February, Wednesday) for 2,302 wards in 117 civic bodies, polling for which was held on 14 February (Sunday).
However, the result of the SAS Nagar municipal corporation is likely to be announced later as the Punjab election commission has announced repolling at two booths of the municipal corporation, and counting of votes are scheduled to take place on 18 February.
The decision was announced on a day repolling was conducted in three booths of the Patran and the Samana municipal councils in Patiala following reports of electronic voting machines being damaged by some miscreants.
A total of 9,222 candidates are in the fray for the elections to 2,302 wards of eight municipal corporations of Abohar, Bathinda Batala, Kapurthala, Mohali, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Moga, 109 municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Of the total candidates, 2,832 are independents, 2,037 from the ruling Congress while 1,569 are SAD nominees. The BJP, AAP and BSP fielded 1,003, 1,606 and 160 candidates, respectively.
The State Election Commission (SEC) had set up 4,102 polling stations, of which 1,708 were declared as sensitive and 861 as hypersensitive. Around 7,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for voting.
The PSEC on Tuesday also ordered deputy commissioners to appoint micro observers for vote counting of sensitive and hypersensitive wards.
On the counting of votes, the Commission ordered to depute IAS, PCS or other senior officials as micro observers in sensitive and hypersensitive wards. Opposition parties have accused the ruling Congress in Punjab of capturing booths and indulging in violence.
The civic body polls are considered crucial as these were the first electoral battle after the farmers' agitation began over the Central government's farm laws.
The BJP and SAD are contesting the election alone after the latter exited the National Democratic Alliance over the contentious farm laws.
While the election results would show whether or not SAD has been able to convert its exit from the NDA, and by distancing itself from the farm laws and the BJP, into political capital, for the BJP it's going to be a referendum on the farm laws which have seen thousands of farmers from Punjab and neighbouring states protesting outside Delhi since late November 2020.
As for Congress, the local body polls is another test for Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's policies as well its support for the ongoing farmers' protest.
Repolling ordered at 2 polling booths in Punjab's SAS Nagar
The Punjab election commission on Tuesday ordered repolling at two booths of the SAS Nagar municipal corporation on 17 February after receiving reports of irregularities during voting on 14 February.
The order comes on a day repolling was conducted in three booths of the Patran and the Samana municipal councils in Patiala following reports of electronic voting machines being damaged by some miscreants.
"The PSEC received reports of irregularities during polling from the sub-divisional magistrate-cum-returning officer through the deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer of SAS Nagar," an official spokesperson said.
They sought repolling at booth number 32 and 33 of ward number 10 of Sahibzada Ajit Singh of the SAS Nagar Municipal Corporation, the PSEC spokesperson said.
The commission announced to nullify the earlier polling conducted in these booths and ordered repolling on 17 February from 8 am to 4 pm. The counting for the entire municipal corporation of SAS Nagar will take place on 18 February, the spokesperson said.
Repolling was held at three booths of the municipal councils of Patran and Samana in Patiala on Tuesday. Patiala deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Kumar Amit said that 87.72 percent voting was registered at polling booth number 11 of ward number 8 in Patran.
He said that 57.72 percent voter turnout was recorded at polling booth number 22 and 23 of ward number 11 in Samana.
When and where to watch Punjab civic body poll results
Readers can track the latest updates and news on the Punjab Municipal Election Result 2021 by following the election result Live blog on firstpost.com.
The Punjab Municipal Election Result 2021 LIVE blog will provide information regarding candidates, their status in the elections and other news and analysis.
Readers can also visit the Punjab Election Commission's website pbsec.gov.in for election results.
Voting concluded on 14 Feb amid skimishes
Over 70 percent voting was recorded in the elections to over a hundred civic bodies in Punjab on Sunday amid stray incidents of skirmishes at some places.
The Opposition parties had accused the Congress of indulging in violence and misusing government machinery, a charge denied by the ruling party.
According to a spokesperson of the Punjab State Election Commission, 71.39 percent turnout was recorded in the elections, polling for which was held from 8 am to 4 pm. The highest turnout of 82.99 percent was recorded in Mansa district while the lowest was in SAS Nagar at 60.08 percent.
According to officials, seven people were injured in Rupnagar after workers of the ruling Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal clashed following a heated argument in Ward No.1 there.
Skirmishes and scuffles between activists of the Congress and the Opposition parties were also reported from Batala, Rajpura, Tarn Taran, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Samana, Rupnagar, Nabha, Nangal, Mohali and Ferozepur.
In Kapurthala's Sultanpur Lodhi, an Akali worker was injured in a clash with Congress supporters. The SAD workers alleged that Congress supporters tried to control the polling booth. They alleged that ruling party activists fired in the air.
As many as 19,000 police personnel were deployed to ensure free and fair elections, an official said. Voters were also screened with thermal scanners at polling booths in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The officials said the state has 39,15,280 voters, including 20,49,777 males, 18,65,354 females and 149 transgenders.
With inputs from PTI
February 17, 2021 at 12:07AM
No comments:
Post a Comment