Re-polling to 53 booths in eight districts of Punjab went off peacefully on Friday, contrary to the polling day — September 19 — which witnessed sporadic incidents of violence leaving several injured.
The counting of votes would be held on Saturday, beginning 8 am.
On the other hand, SAD has urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to order re-poll in the remaining 110 polling booths and defer the counting of votes in the respective constituencies to ensure full justice to the voters as well as to the contesting candidates. SAD had alleged that as many 164 booths were captured.
Demanding videography of all the counting centres, SAD has directed its all observers to be present there from beginning till end of counting.
Apprehending rigging and hijacking of the counting, Cheema pointed that the officials had got candidates’ signature on unfilled proformas as specimen signatures which may be misused while declaring results.
Therefore, he urged to change the proforma to ensure that the profroma is signed only after the declaration of results.
In a letter to the poll panel, party spokesman and senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema thanked it for having ordered re-poll at 54 polling stations in eight districts but expressing shock that 110 booths that were rigged were left out.
Cheema also sent a list of 164 booths which he claimed were captured by the Congress workers led by party leaders. He said that the Commission should also identify the erring officials and take strict action against them. Cheema asked the SEC to immediately hold inquiry and order re-poll to restore peoples’ faith in democracy and simultaneously salvage its own substantially eroded credibility.