18 per cent turnout in Punjab till noon

Chandigarh, Feb 13 (UNI) Amid pouring rain and inclement weather, an estimated 18 per cent of the 1.65 crore voters in Punjab exercised their franchise in 115 of the 117 assembly constituencies and the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency till noon today.

According to official figures with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here, the polling was higher in the Malwa belt as compared to the Majha and Doaba areas. Despite rain there was more enthusiasm amongst the rural voters than those in urban areas.

Wrapped in blankets or carrying umbrellas or clad in rain coats the voters made their way to the polling booths throughout the state. Long queues were seen outside polling booths.

Barnala recorded 22 per cent polling which was the highest followed by Muktsar (21 per cent), Ferozepur and Sangrur (19 per cent), Bhatinda and Mohali (18 per cent), Moga (17 per cent) Fatehgarh Sahib and Faridkot (16 per cent), Jalandhar, Nawan Shahr, Patiala, Gurdaspur and Ropar (15 per cent), Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Mansa and Kapurthala (14 per cent), Amritsar (13 per cent) and Ludhiana (12 per cent).

The polling was by and large peaceful except for a minor scuffle between Congress and SAD activists in Badal village in the Lambi constituency from where SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal is contesting.

Editors: here pick up suitably from earlier series.

UNI