Chandigarh, May 26
The elections to the gram panchayats in Punjab today passed off peacefully except for few incidents of violence and the murder of a candidate. Action by the police unlike in the case of the elections to the Block Samitis and Zila Parishads also helped with around 80 per cent of the rural electorate voting.
As in elections to the panchayat raj institutions, the epicentre of violence in elections to the gram panchayats today remained Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts besides Moga. However except for a single case of a violent clash between SAD and BJP workers, the SAD severely toned down earlier attitude of showing the BJP its place.
Besides violence due to casting of fake votes, tension was created in several booths due to the late arrival of ballot papers. At many booths polling started as much as two to two and a half hours behind schedule. This, sources said, happened because the Delhi -based firm, which printed the ballot papers, could not deliver these on time.
The election of Dera Basant Puri village in Pathankot block of Gurdaspur district was postponed due to the murder of former sarpanch and candidate Jit Ram whose body was found near the village today morning.
In the singular case of clash between Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, four persons were injured including former sarpanch Mohinder Singh, all of whom have been admitted to the civil hospital at Gurdaspur. The clash occurred when SAD leader Narinder Singh Wara along with six party workers attacked the BJP workers following an argument over casting of fake votes by the Akali workers.
In Tarn Taran district a clash took place at Shakri village between SAD and Congress workers. Around 15 workers from both sides were injured when they hurled stones at each other besides firing several rounds into the air. Twelve persons were admitted to the civil hospital at Sarhali following the incident. In another incident in Baserke village, the police resorted to a lathi charge to control another clash between SAD and Congress supporters.
In Ferozepur district, three persons were injured in Bajeka village when supporters of the Congress and the SAD candidates clashed with each other. However a major incident was averted after the police reached the spot and fired one round into the air.
In Moga a Congress party agent Atma Singh was beaten up in Saliana village and had to be hospitalised. There was also a clash between Congress and SAD workers in Kadarwala village over casting of fake votes which resulted in SAD workers receiving injuries and also being admitted to the civil hospital in Moga.
Polling was disrupted in several places due to incidents of snatching. There was also a bizarre case in which a candidate threw acid in a ballot box forcing the returning officer to cancel elections to the panchayat in Kauli village in Patiala district.
