Over 64.33 percent voters, out of 2.07 crores, exercised their franchise in 11 hours polling process on Sunday to seal the fate of as many as 278 candidates in the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The polling in the border state remained “by and large” peaceful amid reports of EVM glitches and minor clashes between the Congress and SAD-BJP workers.
The maximum polling percentage was witnessed at 73.90 percent in Bathinda, while the lowest at 56.35 percent was recorded in Amritsar. “We are expecting it to touch 70-mark,” said Punjab Chief Electoral officer Dr S Karuna Raju, as the percentage would be revised when the final tally becomes available.
During the previous Lok Sabha election-2014, the overall voter turnout was 70.89 percent with Sangrur witnessing highest turnout at 77.48 percent, while the lowest was recorded in Hoshiarpur with 65.29 percent.
The result of many stalwarts, including the SAD president Sukhbir Badal, his Union Minister wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former Union Minister and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur, actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, Aam Aadmi Party president Bhagwant Mann, and many others, would now be kept safe in the EVMs, and would be declared along with others on May 23 — the day counting of votes.
However, the exit polls, revealed on late Sunday evening, predicted that the Congress may continue to maintain its grip in the state by increasing its tally of four up to nine seats.
The state CEO Dr Raju maintained that barring stray incidents of clashes, the polling has remained “100 percent peaceful” in Punjab.
The reports of minor clashes between the Congress and SAD workers were received from Talwandi Sabo, Moga and Sangrur leaving one injured. A murder was also reported in Tarn Taran, but that was because of personal animosity and not a poll violence.
Dr Raju informed that three cases have been registered under various sections in the matter of uploading video of the voting process on Facebook, in Rupnagar, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur.
“We came to know of some media reports where some persons had posted photos of casting vote on EVMs. We took a serious note of the matter, and asked the Ludhiana District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal to inquire into the matter,” said Dr Raju.
The spokesperson said that the District Administration swung into action and checked voter lists as well as the social media account of the person to know his whereabouts or address, and the information was then passed on to the Police Commissioner, and the person was detained.
In another incident, two persons have been booked under sections 126-B Representation of People’s Act-1951, besides 188, 201 of the Indian Penal Code during the polls at Kharar, after they were carrying mobile phone inside the polling booth and posting live video on the social media.
Giving details on law and order front, Dr Raju said that a Congress worker Bunty in Sarali Kalan village in Khadoor Sahib was murdered in the wake of an “for personal enmity and has got no relation with Lok Sabha Election”. He said that FIR has been registered under section 302/34 of the IPC against Sukha, Gora and Soni.
He said that in Adampur (District Jalandhar), a minor verbal dispute arose between supporters of SAD and Congress Party, and the administration diffused the situation.
Dr Raju added that in another incident at Talwandi Sabo under Bathinda constituency, two persons were injured after the Congress leader Khushbaaz Singh Jattana fired from a “desi” (country-made) weapon. “Injury was not due to bullets or cartridges. The Police has registered an FIR against 12 persons and 15 unknown persons in this regard under section 307, Arms Act and SC/ST Act,” he added.
Another incident of dispute was reported in Hakkawala village of Ferozepur district wherein one person was injured while two vehicles were also damaged.
As the polling began at 7 am, the voters including elders, women and youth queued up at several polling stations to exercise their franchise.
The roads and streets in the towns and villages of Punjab were virtually converted into gullies with the voters gushing through it towards the polling booths. But even political observers are finding it tough to say whether the high tide of voters during the parliamentary polls in the state was a result of second ‘Modi wave’ or the popularity of the ruling Congress in the state.
Where the Congress party, on one hand, has all along been claiming to achieve its Mission 13 in the state, the SAD-BJP combine, on the other, is expecting to sail through by cashing in on the Modi wave bagging a fair share of votes in its favour to form the NDA-led government at the Centre once again.
But, it is to be seen whether the anti-incumbency at the national level against the BJP-led NDA was stronger than the anti-incumbency the ruling Congress in Punjab is facing. It is to be seen whether the high voter turnout, similar to previous polls, would defy the anti-incumbency factor or it would go with the generally-accepted notion of ‘voting for the change’, and going with the other available alternatives — Aam Aadmi Party or the fourth front under the banner of Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA).
TECHNICAL SNAGS
As many as 169 ballot units, 88 control units, and 695 VVPATs were replaced after they developed technical snags during the polling process in Punjab on Sunday. As many as 42,689 ballet units, and 28,703 VVPATs were being used for the polling in the seventh and last phase if election in the state.
The Election Commission, after success in previous assembly polls making the polling process more transparent, has used the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) enabled EVMs.
In the morning, there were reports of technical glitches in EVMs at several places including Ludhiana, Samana and Moga. There were reports that eight ballot units, 13 control units, and eight VVPATs were replaced before 2 pm.
It has been learnt that polling was halted for half an hour at Eelwal village in Punjab’s Sangrur constituency when two factions of Congress workers clashed with each other outside a polling station. Three persons were reportedly injured.
CEO Dr Raju said that in the morning during mock poll, as many 290 ballot units, 219 control units and 508 VVPAT machines were replaced and 169 ballot units, 88 control units and 695 VVPAT were replaced during the conduct of poll.
“There is not a single case of disruption of poll and inducement of voters that was brought to the notice of the Commission during the day,” he said.
FIRST-TIME VOTERS
Across Punjab, the first time voters ventured out of their homes to vote for their future; and came back satisfied with a mark on their fingers certifying their contribution in ensuring a democratic setup.
Among many others, the daughter of SAD’s power couple — party president Sukhbiur Badal and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal — Gurleen Kaur too exercised her franchise for the first time and admiring her inked finger.
In Punjab, there are around four lakh first-time voters. And those who pressed the EVM button got the “certificate of appreciation”.
To woo the first timers, not only the Election Commission taken a slew of initiatives. But as the Gen-Y came out to cast their “valuable” votes, they came with lot of expectations from the one they voted for.
On the Election Commission’s directions, the District Administrations have given appreciation certificates to the first-time voters.
Just as the final polling figures are yet to be complied, it would be interesting to see how many youth come out to exercise their franchise.
MAN MURDERED IN TARN TARAN
A man was brutally murdered in full public view allegedly by his neighbours following a heated exchange over some issue, even as the polling for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections was underway in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on Sunday.
The incident occurred at Sarli Kalan village under the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency when the victim, Bunty Singh, 30, was returning home after exercising his franchise, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kuldip Singh Chahal said.
He, however, clarified that the incident was not related to the polling. “This murder is not related to the ongoing polls and is not an incident of poll violence,” he said.
SUNNY DEOL VISITS POLLING STATIONS
Donning a turban, Bollywood actor turned politician Sunny Deol on Sunday visited polling stations to observe the polling process. He was seen greeting voters with folded hands outside a booth in the Fatehgarh Churian area.
Jumping a barricade, the star obliged when a young voter asked for a photograph.
