Punjab: Rains keep voters away from booths

Chandigarh, Feb 13: A heavy morning downpour kept the voters away from the polling booths in Punjab, where elections are being held to 115 assembly constituencies and the Amritsar Parliamentary constituency.

Polling began at 0800 hrs this morning in inclement weather and amidst tight security arrangements at 16,757 polling stations, including 4797 sensitive and 1034 hyper-sensitive booths manned by around 90,000 polling personnel. The polling will end at 1700 hours this evening.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), when contacted said that the polling percentage at this stage was negligible.

There were no lines outside polling booths, as voters preferred to remain indoors due to rain, an official spokesman said.

The polling so far was described as peaceful, barring a verbal duel between Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supporters at Badal village in the Lambi constituency, where SAD chief Prakash Singh Badal is in the fray.

An estimated 1.65 crore voters were expected to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives to the state assembly from amongst 1038 candidates, including 49 women. Despite the presence of a record number of candidates and political parties, the main contest is between the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP alliance.

Casting of votes also began for the prestigious Amritsar Parliamentary bypolls where cricketer-turned-politician and BJP candidate Navjot Singh Sidhu is pitted against his Congress rival state Finance Minister Surinder Singla, in a 10-cornered contest.

In all, 18,040 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been put in service at the booths while the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has made arrangements to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

The main contenders whose political fate hangs in balance include Chief Ministerial candidates -- Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for Congress (Patiala) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Parkash Singh Badal (Lambi) -- , former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur (Bholath), Punjab Congress chief Shamsher Singh Dullo (Khanna- Reserve), Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Lehra Gagga), Deputy Speaker Prof Darbari Lal and senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla (both from Amritsar Central) and BSP chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri (Mahilpur-R).

The Congress, the SAD-BJP combine and the BSP are contesting all the 115 seats, followed by CPI (24), NCP (15) and CPI-M (14).

Besides nominees of other parties, there are as many as 641 independents in the fray, many of whom were rebels from the two major parties.

The inter-state borders with Punjab have been sealed and police check-posts have been put up along the borders of all assembly segments. Vehicular traffic was being checked as the Election Commission has given stringent directions that only voters would be allowed to move about in their constituencies. Around 200 companies of the Para Military Forces (PMF) are on election duty alongwith personnel of the Punjab Police.

The EC has appointed 157 Observers, four additional Observers and two Special Observers to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.

The Commission has made it clear that those issued Electronic Voters Identity Cards (EVIC) must bring those while others must establish their identity through a ration card, employers ID card, driving license, passport, bank pass book or PAN card. No one, except the presiding officers will be allowed to use their mobile phones inside the polling station.

Polling in Valtoha and Beas has been postponed to February 24 and March 11 respectively.

Counting of votes in 116 constituencies, including Valtoha, will be taken up on February 27.

UNI