A Congress worker who suffered injuries in poll violence in ward No. 8 of Bathinda on Monday.
— A Tribune photograph |
Chandigarh, June 30
Punjab today witnessed overwhelming participation in elections to to 95 Municipal Councils (MCs) of the state recording 75 to 85 per cent polling. Even as the SAD-BJP alliance claimed landslide win results trickling in put the ruling alliance ahead of their main rival, the Congress, but not in an enviable lead. Voters surprised all political parties by voting in a very unpredictable manner at various places that may make parties to introspect.
Ahmedgarh in Ludhiana district, for example, almost rejected all parties and went whole hog for the independents, electing 12 in a council of 15. Similar trends have come from other places. At the same time, polling has been very predicable in places like Tarn Taran where the SAD-BJP alliance almost swept the poll as it has also in Patti. In Patti nine candidates won unopposed for the local 19-member Municipal Council and the remaining seats were shared between the SAD and the independents, with the Congress nowhere in the picture.
But all was not so rosy for the ruling alliance that received a drubbing at many places. The BJP for example got a drubbing at Pathankot, considered to be its stronghold. The polling saw the defeat of its district president Satish Mahajan, also a former president of Pathankot Municipal Council at the hands of a greenhorn, Anil Sharma of the Congress. Consequently, the SAD-BJP won only nine seats, the Congress 17 and with six Independents.
According to the Punjab Police the polling passed off fairly
smoothly despite reports of minor skirmishes between rival groups. Today’s polling also saw some firing incidents despite the deployment of 12,000 security personnel. According to police sources, about 12 cases were registered in Bathinda, Barnala, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Sangrur and Patiala districts. The remaining nine districts did not report any incident of violence.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal thanking people for peaceful polling claimed a landslide victory of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance. But on the other hand Congress spokesperson Bir Devinder Singh claimed the Congress had done extremely well despite attempts to rig the polls by the ruling alliance. He said the Congress had won 12 out of 17 seats in Nawanshahr and seven out of 13 in Banga Municipal Council.
Similarly the Congress Bir Davinder claimed had routed the BJP in Gurdaspur district by emerging victorious in Dina Nagar by getting six seats out of 13 seats, while the ruling alliance lagged behind with five seats. In Sultanpur Lodhi too the Congress has won six out of 13 seats, with six going to the SAD and one to an Independent. This he said was a welcome trend as people who have now started to come out openly against the terror of Badal family.
SAD-BJP spokesperson Dr Daljeet Cheema claimed it had won 90 out of the 94 Municipal Committees whose results have been declared. But on the other hand the Congress has said many candidates that contested as Independents and were supported by the Congress are being claimed by the SAD-BJP as their nominees. “There is nothing for the SAD-BJP to feel elated about the results”.
Sporadic incidents of violence and allegations of rigging marked elections in Bathinda district. At least six persons were injured as violence erupted at Maur and the police had to fire in the air to quell the clashes. The mob, wielding lathis and kripans went on the rampage and damaged two vehicles while the police impounded a vehicle carrying liquor and arms.
According to the state Election Commission all results were expected to be declared by midnight today.
