The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Sarpanch caught bribing voters in Faridkot, booked Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, January 30 The hawk-like vigil of Election Commission, albeit bribe from political parties to voters, in the form of cash, goods, or services, was the most prominent feature of elections in Faridkot and Kotkapura assembly constituencies today. Cash in an envelope delivered inside the morning newspaper, providing water-lifting pumps to some houses, distributing slips to get 10 litre petrol or 20 litre free diesel— these were some of measures which the political leaders relied upon to satisfy voter’s expectations in the area. Though the precise impact of vote-for-cash is hard to measure but no doubt it will swing at least some voters in the Faridkot and Kotkapura areas where the Congress and SAD(B) candidates are in a close race. In Faridkot, where money was flowing freely to influence the voters due to a prestige clash between a senior Congress leader and a liquor baron, police and election observers caught red-handed a sarpanch with Rs 22,000 when he was bribing 15 votes in New Cantonment area. The police have booked the sarpanch, Sukhdev Singh, said Ravi Bhagat, deputy commissioner cum district electoral officer Faridkot. The selling and buying of the votes was most common-heard gossip in almost very village and Mohalls of these assembly constituencies today and the rate of vote were being quoted, varying from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 a piece. Politician plying voters with cash or goodies or both in the expectation that this will tilt the election outcome in his or her favour is not new in the election. But this time there was a remarkable departure from the old practice. If earlier the recipients were mostly people of backward classes doing menial labour, this time, even some middle-class joint families, having 10 plus votes, were not hesitant to sell their votes. They sell the votes but with a provison that their names not be disclosed, said a close confidant of a SAD (B) leader in Faridkot. This confidant was supervising the purchasing of votes in an urban locality of Faridkot. The supervision was needed as there are chances of dishonesty occurring in vote-purchasing and the recipients not giving their vote in favour of the paying party. With all these flaws, the party 'supervisors' were keeping an eye on the vote buyers and the recipients swearing in the name of God, assuring their vote for the buyer. There was a lot of hullabaloo in Faridkot today in Bazigar Basti when some did not get the money and party leaders claimed of having sent the money for them. As it raised doubts about the bonafide of a party worker embezzling the money, so there was a lot of sloganeering against him.
	Moga sees increase in young voters Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS Moga, January 30 The most striking feature in the Moga district was the sharp increase in the number of young and women voters. Since early morning to late afternoon, long queues were seen outside most of the booths. The poll per cent in Moga constituency has been reported 76.7 per cent, Baghapurana 82.31 per cent, Dharamkot 76 per cent and Nihalsinghwala 77.78 per cent. No major incidence of violence has been reported from any part of this sensitive district. The high number of new voters of both the sexes standing in the queues raised the eyebrows of candidates who were seen worried because they could not predict the trend of voting as most of the voters looked likely to cast their vote for the candidate of their own choice. The hot topic in every nook and corner of the Moga town was whether the former DGP of Punjab Paramdeep Singh Gill contesting on SAD ticket would win the election. But every debate ended without reaching a conclusion. Ramesh Kuku, a local, said that the Congress party has several advantages. He believes that people are looking forward for a changeand the party candidate Joginder Pal Jain is the sitting MLA of the area. “The local candidate Joginder Pal Jain is the sitting MLA who enjoys good relations with his party leader Captain Amarinder Singh and he may be given a ministerial berth if the party is voted to power,” he said. But, in the nearby Dharamkot constituency it’s the very ‘heavyweight’ tag that might backfire for senior SAD leader Jathedar Tota Singh, felt local political observers saying that along with popularity also came the controversies. Pitted against the Akali stalwart, the Congress candidate Sukhjit Singh Kaka, who, according to him, was forced to quit the SAD party in the SGPC elections after having been denied the party ticket claims that he enjoyed the sympathy of the local people. In Nihalsinghwala, the left political machinery of the CPI candidate Mahinder Singh was also found active at many booths. The sitting MLA Ajit Singh Shant of the Congress and Rajwinder Kaur of the SAD party are the main candidates in the fray from here. Overall, no party candidate could actually feel too confident because of the high turnout of young and women voters.
	80 pc polling in Barnala, Bhadaur & Mehal Kalan Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Barnala, January 30 Approximately 80 per cent polling was recorded in all the three Assembly constituencies of the Barnala district, namely Barnala, Bhadaur (SC) and Mehal Kalan (SC), which was held today. Barring a stray incident, the polling reportedly remained peaceful in these constituencies. However, the polling in the February 2007 Assembly elections in the Barnala Assembly constituency was recorded 81.45 per cent and the Bhadaur (SC) constituency 79.56 per cent. However, the Mehal Kalan (SC) constituency is the newly carved constituency in which the polling for the Assembly elections has been held for the first time. As per reports, people were seen standing in long queues to cast their votes in all these constituencies. At some places, on some occasions women voters outnumbered the men voters. In the Barnala, Bhadaur and Mehal Kalan Assembly constituencies, great enthusiasm was found among the voters in several villages, Sangherra, Dhanaula and Bhathlan (Barnala segment), Mehal Kalan, Chhiniwal and Raisar (Mehal Kalan segment), and Bhadaur, Tapa, Shehna and Dhillwan (Bhadaur segment). The first-time youth voters were also seen in an upbeat mood for casting votes. Seeing the heavy turnout, the Congressmen viewed that they would win as whenever polling crossed 80 per cent it indicated an anti-incumbency factor. On the other hand, the ruling party leaders and workers did not accept this view of the Congresspersons. According to information a Congress workers sustained injuries today in Barnala when he was allegedly attacked by the Akali workers. Besides, in a poll-related violence the Barnala police had registered a case under Sections 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC against some Akali supporters (including three persons by name Kulwant Singh, Gurjit Singh and Jassa Singh) for injuring a Congress supporter in Barnala last night. When contacted, Barnala Deputy Commissioner VN Zade said polling remained peaceful in all three constituencies while the polling had been recorded more than 80 per cent in the constituencies. The Barnala SSP Dhanpreet Kaur claimed that polling had remained peaceful today in all the three Assembly constituencies of the district.
	11 EVMs seized following allegations of tampering Gurdeep Singh Mann/TNS Budhlada (Mansa), Jan 30 Altogether 11 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were seized today following allegations of tampering of machines in Budhlada late last night. Supporters of PPP and BSP gathered outside the office of SDM, Budhlada late last night alleging tampering of the voting machines by some election officials in the presence of supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Bagga Singh, BSP candidate from Budhlada said that he has filed a written complaint in this regard to the election commission for a suitable action. He said that Mansa deputy commissioner and all the three observers reached the office of SDM at around 1.30 am today and got the machines sealed. Bagga alleged that he saw two of the eleven machines lying open in the presence of SAD supporters inside the SDM office. Supporters of BSP and PPP raised an alarm and the matter was highlighted with the help of local area residents and the police. He said that despite tight security around the SDM office and strict vigil some unscrupulous elements managed to tamper the voting machines. Mansa Deputy Commissioner CS Talwar, however, said that it was misunderstanding between the officials on election duty and the local leaders. "We have pacified complainants and resolved the matter. The EVMs have also been locked till the election process is complete and an enquiry has also been marked,” the DC said. He said that the machines were meant for training purpose and were to be replaced by the new ones. He said that the voting process was not affected by the incident. The DC pointed out that necessary action would be initiated by the administration if anyone was found guilty in the enquiry. Meanwhile, Mansa district, which recorded a high 85 per cent polling in the state in 2007 elections, today recorded 82 per cent polling. 80 per cent polling was recorded in Mansa, 85 per cent in Sardulgarh and 82 per cent in Budhlada.
	Violence reported in Fazilka Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, January 30 In poll related violence, the car of the Youth Congress vice-president Ranjam Kamra was smashed while in another incident, three persons were injured. It is stated that the car was damaged by the rival group in the Youth Congress of Kamra. Kamra and his accomplice Sanjeev Sachdeva alias Goldy were allegedly attacked by about half a dozen youth on Raja Cinema road near the Periwal Dharamshalla, in which Sachdeva was injured.