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Bathinda seat registers 75 per cent polling
Complaints of money, liquor distribution, faulty EVMs flood complaint centre
Amidst violence, polling was overall peaceful
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Low turnout at booths for Army personnel
Voters tight-lipped about their choice
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Bathinda seat registers 75 per cent polling
Only 70 per cent of urbanites cast their votes today, while 81.44 per cent voters from Sardulgarh topped the chart in the Bathinda parliamentary constituency which comprises six assembly seats. Voting trends might set alrm bells ringing for the SAD. The assembly constituencies of the Mansa district, including Mansa, Budhlada and Sardulgarh registered maximum polling, while Akali pockets Talwandi Sabo and Bathinda urban registered the least polling much to the dismay of
Akalis. The voting started at 6 am and wound up by around 7.30 pm. However, at the booth number 35 in Rama Mandi, voting was held till 9 pm. SDM, Talwandi Sabo, Rajesh Sharma said due to hot weather, a sudden rush of voters was witnessed at 5 pm due to which the voting got prolonged even till 9 pm. As per the first figures of voting percentage that arrived at 9 am, Maur and Budhlada started as the most enthusiastic constituencies registering 14 per cent turnout. By 11 am, Budhlada had registered the highest increase at 30 per cent followed by Maur at 29 per cent, Lambi at 27 and Bathinda urban and Sardulgarh at 26 per cent each. By 1 pm, Bhucho witnessed a phenomenal increase in the numbers of voters to 51 per cent followed by Sardulgarh, Budhlada and Maur at 45 cent each. Talwandi Sabo and Bathinda rural trailed at 36 and 35 per cent,
respectively. However, the phenomenal rise of Bhucho boiled down to a mere 59 per cent by 3 pm, while Mansa registered the highest turn- out at 67 per cent followed by Budhlada at 61 and Sardulgarh and Lambi at 57 per cent each. At 5 pm, Sardulgarh recorded the highest turn out at 74 per cent, Lambi recorded a turnout of 70 per cent, Maur recorded 69 and Bhucho recorded 68 per cent. Bathinda urban recorded a mere 59 per cent voting, while Talwandi Sabo recorded 51 per cent voting only. |
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Complaints of money, liquor distribution, faulty EVMs flood complaint centre
Bathinda, April 30 Movement of SP CM security, AIG intelligence tracked
On the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the movements of SP Chief Minister’s security Joginder Singh Golu and the AIG intelligence Sulhdev Singh Kahlon was video tracked. Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav said the video-tracking of activities of these two officers had started on April 29 evening and continued throughout the polling day today. Problems in EVMs
To start with, at the time of mock polling in Mehraj village, the EVMs developed some fault and had to be replaced. At one of the polling booths, the presiding officer pressed the close button mistakenly leading to the EVM getting locked up. Following this, a new EVM machine was roped in. Similarly, it was reported that the polling started late at Kotshamir, Gehri Bhagi, Sardargarh and Deon. During the election procedure, the EVM installed at booth number 62 in Bathinda urban at Dasmesh School, suddenly went out of order around 3 pm. This particular booth had around 1,300 voters of which 700 had cast their vote when the EVM developed some technical problem. Polling at the booth remained suspended till 4:15 pm and could be resumed only after the engineers restored this machine. “We stood in the queue for more than an hour in such sweltering hot weather to cast our vote. An alternate machine could have been put up to resume voting so that voters did not have to bear the brunt of heat,” said Rajwinder Kaur Brar, a resident on Ajit Road, who cast her vote at this booth. Allegations of distribution of liquor, money
Alleging the village sarpanch of distributing money today, villager Harbans Singh from village Tarkhanwala alerted the election complaint cell. However, when contacted by the Bathinda Tribune in the evening, he alleged that no action was taken on his complaint. A villager from Pitho village called up alleging the SAD panchayat members of being present inside the polling booth as the people cast their votes. Members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that booths around MSD School and Government Rajindra College were covered with the posters of the SAD. They also alleged that the SAD had held a tea-langar outside the government college to woo voters. A complaint was received against a company named Stelco in Rampura that has around 150 employees and hadn’t declared paid holiday today on the day of voting, despite the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Two incidents of fake
vote registered
Two incidents of fake voting were reported in Bathinda city today. In the first incident, Bhushan Kumar, a resident of Calcutte Wali Gali, said when he reached his polling booth at SSD Girls College, he was surprised to find that his vote has already been cast. “I was surprised to know that my vote was already cast,” he said. The polling officer SDO Nirbhai Singh got his tender vote form filled. The tender vote form
records vote in paper ballot. The vote is counted only when during result there is a tie between two candidates and the tender vote acts as deciding factor. However, this hasn’t happened often. Similarly, Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Mehna Chowk, complained that when he reached at MSD School to cast his vote at around 5.30 pm, his vote has already been cast. He claimed that his tender vote was also not taken at the booth. In yet another incidence of voting scam, Pawan Kumar, a resident of Kheta Singh Basti, alleged that a woman SAD worker did not let the area residents vote today. “We were to cast our vote at the office of the thermal plant. A female SAD worker came to us today morning and collected voters’ slips of around 35 of the voters from our area. She said that she would take us to polling booth in a vehicle. But till 6 pm, neither had she arrived nor did we get our voter slips back. We could not cast our vote due to her,” he said demanding inquiry into the matter. Appreciation certificate not given on time
First time voter, 20-year-old Sanha Arora, who cast her vote at the polling booth number 76 in office of XEN sanitation in Model Town Phase I alleged that she was not given an appreciation certificate awarded to first time voters. “It was only after I argued with the officials that they gave me the certificate,” she said. Employees on poll duty paid honorarium
All the members of polling parties were paid honorarium today for their poll duty leaving no dues uncleared. The presiding officers were paid Rs 2,050 per head, while assistant presiding officers were paid Rs 1,550 per head. Fake complaints
Field staff of election braved fake complaints too. In an interesting case, there were allegations of money being distributed at Mehma Bhagwana village. However, when the ARO Rajiv Prashar inquired into the matter it was found that the presiding officer was distributing honorarium to the election staff. In another incidence, the election cell got a call alleging booth capture in the Raman area. Bathinda Municipal Commissioner Vipul Ujwal and SP (headquarters) Jasvir Singh Khanna, who were in nearby area, reached the aforesaid booth within few minutes. The team called up at complainant’s phone number. Though at first call, the complainant said that he would reach the booth soon, thereafter, he switched off his phone. |
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Amidst violence, polling was overall peaceful
Bathinda, April 30 Around a dozen people were injured in the skirmishes followed by heated arguments in the constituency at Mansa and Bathinda districts. The polling that begun on a positive note rather ended on sad note at many polling booths where brewing tension took ugly turn amidst allegations and counter allegations over illegalities. Arguments turned violent over gaining entry by polling agents inside booths and making rounds by the candidates with supporters accompanied by their security guards. The opposite parties, including the Congress and the Aam Admi Party (AAP) candidates accused the ruling SAD-BJP alliance
of indulging into dishonest ways and lodged written complaints. “My vehicle was not inspected by anyone during the entire day today as there was no checking at all. There must be many unchecked vehicles moving in a similar fashion carrying cash, which has gone unchecked on the polling day,” alleged Veenu Badal wife of the Congress candidate Manpreet Badal. Former Bathinda MLA and Congress leader Harminder Jassi said instead of the paramilitary forces, the police was deployed at the polling booths which failed to control the unscrupulous elements backed by the ruling alliance. AAP Candidate Jassi Jasraj also expressed similar views and said, “We have demanded re-polling at all those places where reports of booth-capturing, illegal activities, including distribution of money and liquor is reported,” Jassi said peaceful polling was disrupted in the evening when large number of people entered in the polling during the evening hours. “A large number of people entered into the polling booth at Goodwill School in Parasram Nagar and also in Tarun Public School at Hans Nagar,” he said. Situation worsened when the police failed to reach on time and the unprecedented delay allowed the unscrupulous elements to carry out illegal activities, Jassi alleged. The Congress workers said one of their volunteers, Sukhraj Singh, was beaten up by the ruling SAD workers on Multania Road. The matter was brought into the notice of the police and a case was being registered on the compliant of injured party worker’s wife, Sukhdeep Kaur. The workers further said violence was reported at Multania Middle School where stones were pelted, windowpanes were broken and some members of the election staff also received minor injuries. In another incident, Phulwati, residing near the grain market alleged that some influential people of her area took away her voter slip along with many others and destroyed the same to bar her from voting. After raising hue and cry by the Congress and the AAP workers over distribution of money by a resident of Delhi, the Kotwali police arrived after one hour and took the man away from the grain market. Despite hue and cry by the AAP and the Congress, the ruling alliance termed these concerns as histrionic. SAD leader and Bathinda MLA-cum-Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla expressing satisfaction over the functioning of the election officials and their performance to carry out election duties said, “Neither any of our party worker nor anybody else is involved in suppressing the voice of the Congress or the AAP.” He pointed out that there were few incidences of violence, but the reality is that the opponents were making hill out of a mole. He claimed to extend support to the opposition if they (opposite parties) were bent on re-polling at any polling booth. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Bhullar, Bathinda, said the police have acted on all the complaints received from various political parties and cases were being registered against the erring people. Similar incidents of violence were also reported in villages of Mansa. At Gurne Kalan village, Darshan Singh supporting the Congress party received injuries after he was beaten up by his opponents. In Bachhuana village, a head constable allegedly entered into heated arguments with Nachhattar Singh-husband of SAD sarpanch of the same village. Nachhattar received some injuries. The head constable was then shifted to somewhere else after the quarrel. Heated arguments were also reported at Jhandeke village following reports of fake voting. Bhupinder Singh, a Congress polling agent at Phoos Mandi village of Mansa, was beaten up by his opponents and was admitted at the Sardulgarh Civil Hospital with head injuries. At Fatta Maloka village of Mansa, the police beat up a Congress worker Pamma Singh and then took him away to the Jhunir police station. A large number of party workers under the leadership of senior Congress leaders were heading towards the Jhunir police station for release Pamma. Reports of a car occupants carrying huge quantities of cash was also reported on Jawaharke road in Mansa. The car was intervened by a large number of local residents. A police team headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Kuldeep Sharma reached the spot but failed to recover any cash from the car. The driver viewing the mob fled away after leaving his car in the middle of road. |
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Low turnout at booths for Army personnel
Bathinda, April 30 Booth numbers 91-97 were set up inside the Cantonment. Of these, while five (91, 93, 94, 95 and 96) were set up inside the Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, one each was set up at the Cantonment gate on Bibiwala Road (92) and Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 5 (97). By 11 am, at booth numbers 95 and 9, only nine votes each had been cast while 35 votes had been cast at booth No. 95. The turnout at other booths also remained dismal during the morning hours. While a total of 947 registered voters are registered at booth No. 91, there are 739 registered voters at booth No. 93, 1,225 registered voters at booth No. 94, 1,120 at booth No. 95, 1,251 registered voters at booth No. 96, and 1,098 registered voters at booth No. 97. Units move, names
remain on list
“If we compare the number of the registered voters to the number of votes cast, the percentage will be low but we should not discount the fact that the units move almost every three years, but their names remain on the voters’ lists as no one makes an effort to strike their names off the list and register the new unit members,” said one of the officers on poll duty. A senior official stationed at the Bathinda Cantonment said, “We had set up polling booths inside the cantonment for two months. But the district administration didn’t show much interest. It was only after the SC ruling that everyone woke. By then, it was too late.” Lt Col (Retd) Daya Singh, president of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association, Punjab, said the administration worked under duress and didn’t take initiative in registering
a larger number of army personnel since it was aware that for the army personnel the national concerns matter over the local issues. Preferred option
Army personnel, who do not belong to Punjab, but have been stationed at the Bathinda Cantonment area, stated that they were happy with the SC ruling. They, however, also stated that the state government may have been little interested in letting them vote since the nation issues took precedence over the local matters and political motives. Sepoy Toofani, who belongs to Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, told the Bathinda Tribune that he cared and knew little about the local leaders, their manifestos and the local area concerns, but was voting on the basis of his knowledge of national parties and their poll agendas and promises. Naib Subedar JT Alphonso, hailing from Tamil Nadu, who limped his way with a fractured foot to the polling booth, stated that he was happy that they had been allowed to cast their vote at their place of posting since the postal ballots were not a reliable way of casting votes as there was a possibility of the ballots getting lost or delayed. |
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Voters queue up since morning in enthusiasm
Bathinda, April 30 First time frenzy
In areas like Vishal Nagar, Panchvati Nagar, Model Town, North Estate, Urban Estate and others, the youngsters showed special interest and came out to vote in hordes. Nineteen-year-old Sakshi Thakkar, on examination leave from her engineering college, reached the polling booth at 7.25 am to avoid any rush. “For me, using my franchise to vote is both motivating and thrilling. My vote will go to the candidate who promises a bright future to the
youth of the constituency,” she said. Anubhav Bhateja was thankful that the elections are being held in April in Punjab. “I turned 18 in January and was hoping that the elections are held after January. I was very eager to cast my vote for the first time and read all the news about the candidates to make sure that I choose the candidate wisely.” A large number of voters made sure that they had voted by 9 am to avoid the sun and rush of voters. At most of the booths across the city, voters could be seen lined up outside waiting patiently for their turn. As per official record, 25 per cent voting had been recorded by 11 am. This included 18 per cent voting in the Bhucho assembly segment, 29 per cent in the Maur assembly segment, 18 per cent in Talwandi Sabo, 25 per cent in Bathinda rural, 26 per cent in Bathinda urban, 27 per cent in Lambi, 21 per cent in Mansa, 26 per cent in Sardulgarh and 30 per cent in Bhudhlada. |
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Voters tight-lipped about their choice
Bathinda, April 30 Not only urban, but rural voters have also gone silent this time. While visiting many polling booths in the city and in rural area we tried to feel the nerves of the voters. Gurjant Singh, who was coming out from polling booth at Damesh Senior Secondary School in the Civil Station area straightforwardly refused to comment and smilingly said, “Jinu vote pani si, pa diti, tusi chado” (I have voted in favour, whom I want to, you just ignore). Vikas Verma, a young voter,when asked about the candidate for whom he has voted, replied he don’t remember to whom he had voted, as quite hurriedly he pressed the button. As we asked to the a group of four women in Paras Ram Nagar replied “ tusi kyo puch rahe ho, tusi ki lena pa diti assi vote”(Why are you asking? What do you want for it?). Even rural voters, refusing to comment said, we have voted, result will be out soon.Why you are in so hurry, wait for May 16. Interestingly, even first-time voters said they are quite happy as they have voted for the first time and became a part of the democracy but remained tight-lipped on whom they have voted for or whose wave is going on. |
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Bathinda, April 30
