The elections to six municipal corporations of Punjab on Sunday witnessed average polling of around 69.01 per cent, while the by-elections to three wards of two corporations recorded 54.54 per cent polling, sealing the fate of 1,263 candidates. The counting will be held on February 26, Thursday. By and large, the elections went off peacefully with no major incident of violence amidst high security. Reports of minor incidents, including scuffles had been reported from Pathankot, Bathinda and Patiala.
“There was no report of any untoward incident from any polling booths,” the State Election Commissioner SS Brar said. Around 4000 police personnel have been deployed. In addition, ten election observers, comprising IAS officers, have also been deployed. The six municipal corporations that went for polls on Sunday are Phagwara, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Mohali, Bathinda, and Moga. Besides, the voting was also held for two wards of Patiala Municipal Corporation and one ward of Jalandhar Municipal Corporation.
The highest polling percentage was recorded at Pathankot with 74 per cent voters coming out in large number to exercise their franchise, closely followed by Phagwara at 73 per cent, and Moga at 72.33 per cent. Polling percentage in Hoshiarpur was recorded at 67.29, Bathinda at 67 per cent and SAS Nagar (Mohali) at 60.48 per cent. The two wards of Patiala Municipal Corporation witnessed 46 per cent voting, while one ward in Jalandhar recorded 63.08 per cent polling — with a total average of 54.54 per cent.
To ensure maximum voter turnout, the State Election Commission has increased voting timing for an hour, till 5 pm. The last “bonus” one hour witnessed on an average 5.38 per cent polling in all six municipal corporations. In all, 1,263 candidates were in the fray for 298 wards, including 50 each in Bathinda, Mohali and Moga, 49 each in Hoshiarpur and Pathankot and 47 wards of Phagwara.
Four candidates have already been elected unopposed on three wards of Phagwara municipal body and one ward of Hoshiarpur Corporation. The State Election Commission, a day before, had postponed the election of ward no 30 in Pathankot Municipal Corporation due to the death of BJP candidate Shashi Kala.
The key players in the fray are the ruling SAD-BJP, Congress and the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP). Aam Aadmi Party, which recently swept Delhi Assembly elections, had already announced to stay away from Punjab’s civic polls. The elections are being seen as a litmus test for the ruling SAD-BJP combine which is at the helm of affairs in the State since last seven years. The Congress party, which is already facing infighting over leadership issue in the State, has remained is aiming to strengthen its position at ground level.
SAD and BJP, which are contesting the civic body polls jointly, are witnessing tough fight from party rebels. Both BJP and SAD had expelled over 100 party members for not withdrawing their nominations in favour of party candidates. The State would now go for elections to 122 municipal councils and nagar panchayats on Wednesday, February 25, and the counting of which will be held on the same day.
Brar gave credit to people of Punjab and the administrative machinery for ensuring the fair, impartial and peaceful election process. He expressed hope that the “next phase of polling for the 122 municipal councils or nagar panchayats and by-election of one ward of Bariwala would also go on peacefully”. “This election is the indicator of peoples’ faith in the democratic values of the Constitution,” he added.