Punjab State Election Commission on Tuesday issued notification regarding elections of 123 municipal councils or nagar panchayats, along with one ward in nagar panchayat of Bariwala in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
With this, the model code of conduct has also come into force immediately from Tuesday which will operate in all area that fall within the jurisdiction of these 123 Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and the Nagar Panchayat where a bypoll is to be held and will end on February 27. “The nomination process has also started from Tuesday with the issuance of notification for the elections,” said the State Election Commissioner SS Brar.
He said that the nominations will be received from 11 am to 3 pm from Tuesday, and the last date for filing nominations will be February 13. Scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on February 14, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 16, he said.
The polling shall be conducted on February 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up soon thereafter at the polling booth itself, he said.
Brar stated that 123 Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and one ward in Nagar Panchayat of Bariwala comprising approximately 28,50,000 electorates, who will vote in a total of 2,062 wards. “All required election materials have been dispatched to the districts. EVMs are currently under inspection for being declared election worthy. Punjab Director General of Police has been requested to ensure proper and adequate security for the electoral process,” added Brar.
303 WARDS; 228 NOMINATIONS
For the elections of six municipal corporations and by-election of three wards of Patiala and Jalandhar, total 228 nominations have been filed till Tuesday. “The total wards for which election is scheduled on February 22 are 303 and till today, 228 nominations have been filed. Tomorrow, February 11, is the last date for filing of nominations,” said an official spokesperson of the State Election Commission.
He said that for SAS Nagar (Mohali), Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Moga, Pathankot and Phagwara Municipal Corporations, there are 50 wards each and the nominations filed are 28, 44, 10, 51, 57 and 36 respectively. No nomination has so far been filed for by-election of two wards in Patiala, while two nominations have been filed for the by-election of one ward in Jalandhar.