Punjab civic elections: 63.94% turnout amid heatwave as clashes and booth-capturing claims emerge

Punjab’s civic elections recorded 63.94 per cent turnout during a heatwave, with clashes involving supporters of AAP, Congress, BJP, and SAD and allegations of booth capturing in several areas. Voting by ballot ran from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. across municipal corporations, councils, and nagar panchayats. Counting is on 29 May.

Punjab’s civic elections recorded 63.94 per cent polling amid a heatwave on Tuesday. Reports also spoke of clashes between supporters of Congress, AAP, BJP and SAD. Allegations of booth capturing surfaced at a few locations. Officials said ballot paper voting ran from 8 am to 5 pm. Counting is scheduled for May 29.

The local body elections were seen as important for major parties in Punjab. The polls took place ahead of the assembly elections next year. The exercise was also viewed as a key test for the ruling AAP. Officials said 35 lakh voters were eligible. They reported 22.38 lakh votes were cast in total.

Punjab civic elections polling turnout across wards

Officials said voting covered 1,897 wards across eight municipal corporations. The corporations were Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala, and Pathankot. Polling was also held for 75 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats. In municipal corporations, turnout was 59.91 per cent, officials said.

Officials reported 65.06 per cent polling in municipal councils. In nagar panchayats, the turnout stood at 76.18 per cent. A total of 7,555 candidates contested the elections. AAP fielded 1,801 candidates, the highest among parties. Congress put up 1,550, BJP 1,316, and SAD 1,251 candidates.

The candidate list also included 96 from the Bahujan Samaj Party BSP. Officials said 1,528 Independent candidates were also in the fray. Many voters arrived early due to intense heat. Elderly people and women were seen lining up in the morning. Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma voted at a booth in Pathankot.

Punjab civic elections security and sensitive booths

Officials said 740 polling booths were marked sensitive and 275 hyper-sensitive. About 35,000 election staff were deployed on duty. Around 32,000 police personnel were also assigned for election work. Despite these measures, confrontations were reported in several places. Police intervened at some locations, according to officials.

In Raikot, Congress candidate from Ward number 4 Jagdev Singh Jagga was injured. Officials said Jagga faced an attack with sharp-edged weapons by a group. Jagga was admitted to a private hospital in Ludhiana. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the AAP government.

"The brutal attack on Congress candidate Jagdev Singh Jagga in Raikot exposes the complete collapse of law and order under the Bhagwant Mann government.Gangsters and political goons are roaming freely while the government is busy with ads and reels. If election candidates are unsafe, imagine the condition of common people in Punjab, Warring said on X.\"

Warring later visited the hospital in Ludhiana to check Jagga’s condition. \"Any attack on my Congress worker is like an attack on my family. The brutal attack on Jagdev Singh Jagga is deeply disturbing and unacceptable. Violence has no place in democracy. Those responsible must be identified and brought to justice immediately. Punjab cannot be allowed to function through fear and intimidation, Warring said.\"

Punjab civic elections clashes and booth capturing claims

In Barnala, violence was reported after allegations of bogus voting. The husband of BJP candidate from Ward number 15, Deepinder Kaur, was assaulted. The incident followed a heated exchange, officials said. The person’s turban was removed and injuries were reported. The individual was taken to a hospital for treatment.

In Gidderabha in Muktsar district, officials reported clashes during polling. The confrontation involved supporters of SAD and the ruling AAP in Ward numbers 18 and 19. SAD later complained to the Punjab State Election Commission. SAD accused AAP MLA Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and others of booth capturing, assault, and intimidation.

Officials rejected claims that any booth capturing took place during polling. In Samana in Patiala, tension rose during voting in Ward number 19. Supporters of two rival parties clashed, officials said. Later, stones were thrown at police personnel. Police used cane charge to clear the crowd, and polling was paused briefly.

In Majitha in Amritsar, officials said SAD and AAP supporters clashed. Police intervened during the incident, officials added. SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia criticised the Mann government. Majithia alleged AAP workers, backed by the Punjab Police, carried out booth capturing, violence, and intimidation. Majithia also claimed a Sikh youth was stripped of a turban.

In Maur Mandi, BJP and AAP supporters were involved in heated exchanges. Warring also alleged intimidation and pressure tactics during the polls. \"I strongly demand strict action against every person involved in these attacks and acts of lawlessness, irrespective of political affiliation, he alleged.\" Warring also reached a polling station in Muktsar with Amrita Warring on a bullock cart.

Warring said the bullock cart was meant as a message on fuel price rises. Officials maintained polling ran through the scheduled hours. They said the overall turnout remained 63.94 per cent. Counting will be held on May 29, after which results will be declared across wards and local bodies.

With inputs from PTI