About 25 to 30 % polling recorded in MC polls in Punjab

Chandigarh, Aug 8 (UNI) About 25 to 30 per cent of more than 24.71 lakh voters exercised their franchise by this afternoon in the municipal corporation elections being contested on party lines in Punjab.

Except for a firing incident, in which two people were injured, in Rasulpur area of Ward numnber 18 in Patiala and minor clashes in Ward number 36 and Ward number 49 in Amritsar, the polling was progressing peacefully in all wards of the Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala Municipal Corporations in the state.

The Congress has 'withdrawn' all its 50 candidates put up for the municipal corporation elections in Patiala. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the decision had been taken in view of the alleged use of muscle power in the elections by the ruling SAD-BJP coalition.

The polling, which began at 0800 hours, will close at 1600 hours.

As many as 1302 candidates are measuring swords in the elections being held for the municipal corporations of Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala. Two hundred and fifty six of them are in the fray in Jalandhar, 375 in Amritsar, 550 in Ludhiana and 150 in Patiala.

The Jalandhar Municipal Corporation comprises 60 members, Amritsar 65, Ludhiana 75 and Patiala 50 members. Electronic voting machines are being used in the elections.

UNI