Voting starts on a dull not at Golden Temple city

Amritsar, May 13 (ANI): The city of Golden Temple started voting on a not so enthusiastic note on Wednesday in the fifth phase of general elections, with not many people turning up at polling booths despite wide awareness.

Though polling started at 7 a.m, in the urban areas of Amritsar despite a dull beginning the voting is likely to pick up later in the day.

However, the people visiting the polling booth early morning said, one must cast his or her vote. It is every citizen's privilege and he or she must exercise this right.

Eighty five-year-old Kamla said that for over 50 years she has been casting her vote.

Kamla said: "I always voted no matter even if I had to skip one time meal to take out time to cast my precious vote."

Sumeet Arora, a resident, said: " More and more people should come out and cast their vote it is they way we can strengthen the democracy."

In rural areas of Amritsar constituency, comprising 1200 to 1300 villages, the voters have not shown much enthusiasm to vote at least till 11.0'clock.

In Amritsar, the main contest is between Bharatiya Janata Party's Navjot Singh Sidhu and Congress candidate Om Parkash Soni. There are 12 other candidates contesting elections for the same seat.

More than 1.2 million voters n Amritsar would decide the fate of the candidates who are contesting to win the Amritsar Parliamentary seat.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure elections be held in a peaceful manner here. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)