SAD candidate all set to win Beas assembly seat

Amritsar, Mar 14 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Manjinder Singh Kang had established an unbeatable lead of 4,183 votes over his nearest rival and sitting MLA, Jasbir Singh Dimpa of the Congress in Beas assembly constituency of Punjab.

According to the Returning Officer of the constituency, 669 votes locked in a Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) were yet to be counted. The EVM had developed some technical fault and the counting would be resumed after the fault was rectified, the officer stated.

Polling in the constituency was held on March 11. There were 12 candidates in the fray.

A total of 1,09,160 of the 1.42 lakh electorate had exercised their franchise.

The Election Commission (EC) had postponed the elections in Beas from February 13 to March 11 following violence between SAD and Congress supporters on January 29. The violence had claimed the life of an SAD activist.

After the incident, an FIR based on the statement of SAD leaders was registered against Congress candidate Dimpa, his brothers, Rajan and Harman, a SP ranking officer in the Punjab Police and 13 others.

So far the police has arrested Rajan and five others, including three Punjab Police personnel, in the case.

In the polls held in 116 of the 117 assembly constituencies last month, SAD had won 48 seats and its ally the BJP won 19 seats. The Congress with 44 seats, handed over the reins of power to the SAD-BJP coalition. Independents had won five seats in the polls.

UNI