Ludhiana, May 13
Many voters in the city and villages of the Ludhiana constituency were not allowed to exercise their franchise to reject candidates despite there being a provision for this under Rule 49-O under the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961[1] of India.

The voters, who wanted to reject all candidates in the fray, had to return without taking part in the democratic process as respective presiding officers were not aware of this provision.

On a call given by NGOs, including the Resurgence India and the Federation for Economic Freedom Movement, to reject candidates if they did not like any, many voters reached the polling stations, but had to return disappointed.

Fifty persons staged a dharna at Sarabha village as the polling staff did not allow them to fill form 17-A provided under the Act. Ironically, the presiding officers did not know that the register available with them on which they were getting signatures of electorates was the 17-A form.

Similar problems were faced by 20 persons at Chaminda village in Pakhowal block, 50 in Sarabha village, 50 in Barewal, 50 in Laddowal and many others in Chaharan, Ghumaan, Hissowal and Abbuwal villages.

A survey by a The Tribune team revealed that the presiding officers were not told about the provisions of the Act during rehearsals.

Sukhvinder Singh Shakti, member of an NGO, said the staff was forcing the voters to cast their vote. “They, however, came back without doing anything,” he said.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 13
Caring two hoots for the Election Commission (EC) warning, a battalion of dummy candidates for the Lok Sabha remained conspicuous by their absence at almost all polling booths in this part of Malwa.

While a majority of the candidates contesting election as Independents had concluded their political activities after lending their rights to major candidates sponsoring them, others allegedly realised value of their investment by getting SAD and Congress activists as their polling agents today.

Though the undemocratic and unethical practises were quite visible, none of the micro observers was reported this to the EC observers.

Investigations by The Tribune revealed that most of the Independent candidates had remained absent from polling booths situated in this part of Malwa.

While EVMs for the Ludhiana and Fatehgarh constituencies bore names and symbols of 30 and 11 candidates, respectively, supporters of only SAD and Congress candidates had set up booths outside polling stations in the area. At some places BSP and SAD (A) candidates had also set up booths.

A visit to polling booths in the Raikot, Gill, Payal and Amargarh Assembly constituencies revealed that none except two Independents had got their agents appointed.

Independents for the Ludhiana LS constituency Sheikh Mukhtiar and Shambhu Singh had deputed their agents in certain belts, but it seemed they were watching the interests of candidates launched by the major parties instead of being faithful to their legitimate candidates. Though the EC has announced that it will take stern action against those found propagating for official candidates, the menace seemed to be beyond the control of the authorities.

Supporters of almost all official candidates have started searching for a large number of polling and counting agents. Blank authorisation letters, signed by a few Independents enabled them to depute extra manpower.

Sources revealed that at least 100 dummy candidates had filed nomination papers from the Ludhiana, Fatehgarh, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Patiala and Sangrur constituencies of Malwa.

Ropar, May 13
Voters complained of serious discrepancies in voter I-cards, which left them with no other option but to produce alternate identity proof to cast their vote.

In many cases, the details on I-card issued by the election commission were found with grave errors. The voter I-card of Malika Poswal, daughter of a local doctor had his father’s photo instead of her. Similarly, people poured in with complaints that there were discrepancies in names as well.

Consequently, such voters were asked to bring an alternate identity proof out of a list of 14 proofs issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). “But not every voter is so dedicated that first he or she would go back home, hunt for alternate ID and again come back to polling booths to cast vote,” said officials on election duty.

Interestingly, officials pointed out that it was not only common man whose voter identity card had mistakes, even some of the higher officials had to go through the ordeal.

Former Deputy Commissioner of Ropar B Purushartha and his wife SDM Kavita Singh too had their votes in Ropar.

Sources said on Kavita Singh’s voter ID details, her husband B Purushartha’s photo was affixed. Also on Purushartha’s column it was mentioned that photo was not available. However, when contacted, election tehsildar said the mistake had been rectified during the revision of lists.

The rural voters were at receiving end in such conditions when they had come from nearby villages and had to return without casting votes. “It is not easy to come from such far off places only to be told that one would not be able to cast vote,” said Naseeb Kaur in Nurpur Bedi.

Workers of political parties camping outside the polling stations too had a tough time convincing people to bring alternate identity proofs. They also alleged poor picture quality on the voter I-cards.

“The election commission should ensure that educated and skilled people are given task of printing and preparing the voter I-cards. We have informed our political high ups about the issue and they may take up the matter with election authorities,” said Shamsher Singh, an Akali worker.

Mehraj/Salabatpura (Faridkot), May 13
Bonding of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh with his ancestral village Mehraj was quite apparent as voters professed to cast votes for the Congress because of Amarinder and not for party candidate for the Faridkot Lok Sabha seat Sukhwinder Singh Danny.

Congress supporters in the village were noticed referring to the former CM with various names: Raja, Puttar, Sher, Gariba da Masiha, etc. Giving reason for the admiration, they recounted facilities like sewerage, water supply, roads among others, which they claimed had been provided to them by Amarinder.

People at the Congress tent said, “We have no interaction with Danny, but we are voting for the Congress in the name of Amarinder as he is the only one who can take on the Badals”.

Some of them took The Tribune team to their houses and showed photographs of Amarinder installed amid posters and portraits of religious Gurus and gods.

“Who provided job to our son, provided all basics amenities and converted the village into beautiful town? How can he be less than a god?” asked Rajinder Kaur, an elderly woman of Mehraj Patti Karamchand.

According to official details, Mehraj has 11,825 votes of which around 9,280 polled today.

On the other hand, at Salabatpura, the village where the Punjab headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda is located, voters were not ready to share anything about their poll mood.

On any direction issued from the Dera chief, they said, “He has set us free to apply our mind and cast votes for the deserving candidate”.

In the official list of the administration, Salabatpura has 1,360 voters of which around 1,053 cast votes. 

Kothe (Pathankot), May 13
Giving up initial plan of boycotting Lok Sabha election, voters of Kothe village, cut off by the Chakki river, exercised their franchise.

The villagers had sought the setting up of a polling booth in the village which could not be granted.

The village on the Pathankot-Jalandhar road falls under Kounterpur panchayat, which is across the river. A number of villagers have land at Kounterpur.

The village voters demanded a polling booth in the village to avoid crossing at places 150-ft-deep river. Their boycott call forced the district election office to send a naib tehsildar on May 9. His assurances pacified villagers who decided to cast votes. About 75 out of 280 voters of the village exercised their right.

Village youth Jiwan says they needed a panchayat of its own since for attesting papers they have to travel 35 km via Pathankot to reach Kounterpur.

Septuagenarian Baljit Singh said the situation became complicated with the illegal mining in Chakki as bed of the river went down at some places.

Residents of neighbouring Simbli village join this village in demanding a bridge across the river. Inhabitants of Talwara Jatta village sharing boundary with Kounterpur also raise the same demand.

The villagers said Vinod Khanna during his election rally in this part of the district had announced that a tender for the bridge had been floated, but work could not initiated since the model code of conduct came into force.

Assistant Returning Officer, Pathankot, Abhinav Trikha, under whose jurisdiction the village fell, said demand for setting up a separate polling station in the village came late. He said the district election office provided a boat for crossing the river. However, he added, the villagers did not use the boat as water level was low. 

Hoshiarpur (Rajwan), May 13
Having been deprived of even a pucca road, residents of Rajwan village in the Hoshiarpur constituency have boycotted the Lok Sabha elections. Not even one out of the 40 voters of the village exercised their right to vote today.

The village once had 250 voters. Villagers are constantly leaving the village due to poor approach to the village.

Despite having spread on more than 500 acres, the village cuts a sorry figure, as is evident from vacated houses, missing activity in the village.

The village falls under the panchayat of Bhatrana and has its Chowkidaar at Tajjowal village.

“The village is linked to Bhatrana village, Tajjowal and Hukran on three sides, but the apathy of leaders have been such that despite our repeated requests they have failed to provide the village with a single pucca road,” lamented Sadhu Singh, a village elder.

“This time we did not entertain any leaders of the SAD, BSP or Congress and told them to leave the village,” he said.

It’s a bumpy ride on the muddy stretch of 1 km on all three sides that connect the village to the adjoining roads. Getting married has become an ordeal for boys and girls of the village. People coming with proposals once to the village never return. Satwinder Kaur said: “We are worried for our children. Sooner or later we will also leave the village as nobody is ready to marry their sons or daughters at Rajwan.”

The villagers have no immediate access to health facilities. It takes them a long time to reach even the nearest dispensary at Hukran village.

Anandpur Sahib/ Ropar, May 13
Enthusiastic rural voters scored over their urban counterparts in casting their vote for 14 candidates contesting from Anandpur Sahib seat. Around 67 per cent of total polling was reported from the entire constituency.

Rural voters were seen queued up outside the respective polling booths even before 7 am. “Villagers preferred to get free in the morning itself. Till 9 am, we had rush of rural voters,” said polling staff at booth number 71 in Government School, Kurali.

Till 9 am, 12 per cent of votes were registered and this figure soared gradually from 26 per cent till 1 pm to 67 per cent till the end of day. Urban voters chose to cast vote in the afternoon after 2 pm.

Interestingly, while the Congress and SAD had put up their booths parallel to each other, the CPI and BSP largely remained absent from outside the polling stations.

Chamkaur Sahib witnessed maximum voter turnout with 70 per cent, followed by Banga at 69 per cent, Ropar and Kharar at 67 per cent, Anandpur Sahib city at 63.2 per cent Garhshankar at 65 per cent, Mohali at 63.65 per cent and Balachaur at 58 per cent.

During mock poll at booth number 143 in Ropar, the EVM went out of order at 7 am. It was then immediately replaced and no polling process got disrupted. Overall polling process remained peaceful with no incident of violence reported from any quarter.

At Hardanmoh village in Anandpur Sahib, the booth was situated around 4 km away from the village. “Initially, people refused to go to poll. But later representatives of various political parties convinced them. Voters were illegally taken into different parties’ vehicles,” revealed a villager.

Large number of women had turned up for voting as compared to men. It is pertinent to mention here that the constituency has an equal number of male and female voters.

Earlier, election officials had claimed that adequate drinking water arrangements would be made keeping in view the rising mercury. It was also claimed that ORS packets, sugar and salt would be made available to people. However, no such special arrangement was found on the polling booths. 

FatehgarhSahib/Khanna/Khamano, May 13
Three persons received minor injuries during a brawl that took place at Khamano at a fag end of the voting day today, which witnessed 68 per cent of voting in the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency.

The incident took place in Ferour village near Khamano. Police officials said the victims had been identified as Kuldeep Singh, Balvir Singh and Bahadur Singh.

They all received multiple injuries when they entered into a quarrel over the issue of providing slips to voters after 5 pm. The senior police officials reached the spot and enquired about the matter.

Sarpanch Ram Singh told the police that the group was fighting with each other for the past few days, which led to a clash while they were drunk.

The police did not register any case so far. The area SHO said statements of the injured would be recorded tomorrow and the case would be registered.

Meanwhile, low voter turnout was witnessed in Khanna and it abruptly picked up in the noon after 3 pm. Long queues were witnessed in some of the polling stations, while others wore a deserted look.

As many as 152 polling booths were formed in Khanna wherein 72 per cent voting was witnessed in the rural areas and 62 per cent in the urban areas.

An EVM machine at booth number 45 in Badla village near Khamano developed a fault in the morning from 8 am to 8.30 am and 9.30 am to 11 am. Finally the officials of the election duty had to seal the faulty machine and get the new EVM at 12 noon.

Raikot registered highest polling percentage with 72 per cent, Payal 70 per cent, Amargarh registered 69 per cent, Samrala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Amloh trailed by 65 per cent each and Khanna registered 67 per cent polling.

A section of voters in Khamano, Sirhind and Khanna were seen accusing the officials for not providing a form, 17-C, which aides a valid voter not to cast his vote. It describes a procedure to be followed when a valid voter decides not to cast his vote and decides to record this fact.

The apparent purpose of this section is to prevent the election fraud or misuse of votes. No register was maintained at these places to record the persons using the form, 17 C, whereas the officials claimed that no voter had approached them for the form.

May 13
An estimated 70 per cent polling was reported in the Faridkot (reserved) Lok Sabha constituency. The polling, that began sharp at 7 am, witnessed great enthusiasm amongst the voters.

This constituency has a total of 15 candidates in the fray with major fight being between Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan of the ruling SAD and Sukhwinder Singh Danny of the Congress.

In the morning polling was 28 per cent by 11 am and it touched the 50 per cent mark by 2 pm. The voting between 2 pm and 3 pm was almost negligible while the last two hours saw a brisk polling.

This constituency, spread in four districts of Bathinda, Moga, Ferozepur and Faridkot, has 12.85 lakh voters in nine assembly segments. The maximum 80 per cent polling was reported from the Gidderbaha assembly segment while the lowest 63 per cent from the Faridkot assembly segment.

Most of the villages in the Gidderbaha area reported more than 85 per cent polling. Majority of voters there felt that it was the “personal touch” given by the candidates and leaders of the both parties that the people turned up to cast their votes in large numbers. The villages of Karimwala, Lungwala, Chottiyan, Lohara, Begowal witnessed 85 per cent voting.

The polling remained 70 per cent in Moga, 68 per cent in Nihalsinghwala, 65 per cent in Baghapurana, 67 per cent in Dharamkot, 71 per cent in Kotkapura, 73 per cent in Rampura Phul and 69 per cent in Jaito.

Although there were reports of faulty EVMs from many polling booths in the initial hours of the polling, the officials got the machines either replaced or repaired without wasting any time.

District Magistrate of Moga Satwant Singh Johal said: “We received few complaints from the Kot-ise-Khan, Ajitwal, Baghapurana and Nihalsingwala areas”. Similar reports were also received from few areas of Faridkot and Muktsar districts but the polling process was not affected in any part of the constituency, said VK Meena, District Magistrate-cum Returning Officer of the Faridkot constituency.

May 13
Amid stray incidents of minor clashes at some places, over 14 lakh voters peacefully exercised their franchise at 1,717 polling stations in this constituency. About 60 per cent polling was recorded till 4 pm.

Presiding officer Ashok Kumar, deputed at polling booth No. 121 in the Sri Hargobindpur Assembly segment, died of a cardiac arrest.

An impressive voter turnout sealed the fate of SAD-BJP candidate Vinod Khanna, seeking mandate for a fourth time, and of Congress Partap Singh Bajwa.

Bhuri Sanian and Man Chopra villages witnessed minor clashes among workers of rival groups. However, the situation was immediately brought under control by security forces.

People at various places were found in an inebriated condition, signaling at a free flow of liquor last night.

Vinod Khanna did not cast his vote as he was not registered as an elector here. Pratap Singh Bajwa, accompanied by his wife Charanjit Kaur, cast their votes at the polling booth in Sikh National College, Qadian.

Khanna said he had applied for registration as a voter from here, but his plea could not materialise for some technical reasons.

Both leaders claimed the higher voter turnout to have worked in their favour. While Bajwa said it was a visible anti-incumbency wave, Khanna opined that efforts of supporters and leaders of the SAD-BJP coalition and Bollywood stars ensured the higher turnout.

Meanwhile, the district election office issued a cheque for Rs 2 lakh for the bereaved family of Ashok and the remaining Rs 3 lakh would be released later.

May 13
An official spokesperson said in the Khadur Sahib constituency 68 per cent votes were polled. The percentage is likely to go up as voters were still standing in queues to cast votes at several booths even after 5 pm.

This newly carved constituency registered encouraging polling.

Over 60 per cent electors already cast votes by 1.30 pm at some of the polling booths. As many as 715 of total 1,183 voters exercised their franchise by 1.25 pm at booth number 154 at Government Elementary School Veroval (Boys) in Tarn Taran district. Presiding officer Vijay Manav said women were turning up in a large number to cast votes.

Niranjan Kaur (80), was seen coming towards booth number 17 at Government Elementary School Ucha Bet in Kapurthala with the help of her son. She said, “I am panch of Ucha Bet village and if I do not vote, how will other people vote.” As many as 530 out of total 1,311 votes were polled at this booth by 12.23 pm.

Ludhiana, May 13
Migrant voters were provided free atta by workers of a candidate in the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, despite the Election Commission orders against free sops.

“Vehras” of migrants were chosen, especially to woo voters, and their families were provided with a 10 kg bagful of atta, free of cost clandestinely in the middle of last night.

A candidate’s worker provided the migrants of a ‘vehra’ in Sarabha Nagar with handwritten chits and asked them to visit a ration depot in the neighbourhood for free atta.

Migrants told The Tribune that only those got the chit were registered as voters. The rest had to curse themselves for not getting registered.

“I was not given the bag as I was not registered. Otherwise, all my neighbours had got the freebie last night,” said Ram Bilas, a vegetable vendor who stays in a ‘vehra’ in the J-Block, Sarabha Nagar, in front of a government school.

Others said they were given the flour and told to vote for a particular candidate. Residents of the same ‘vehra’, including Harbans Kumar, Ganesh and Ramesh, brought the free sop home.

“We were told to come at night. Though I decided I would not bring it as I did not want to vote that candidate, I was enticed to get it. We even cooked chapatis with it in the morning today,” said a migrant.

He said he had, however, not voted for that candidate even after getting the freebie. Similar reports were received from ‘vehras’ in Gyaspura and Sherpur also. 

Gohir (Jalandhar), May 13
This village has a message for people of the state. People here cast votes in an orderly manner and tension was not visible in the village. By noon more than 50 per cent votes were cast. Tents of main parties, the Congress and the SAD, were close to each other.

In this connection, an old man of the village said, “Here all are educated and know that the mind of the voter cannot be changed at the polling booth. So there was no pulling of voters from one tent to other or unnecessary influence”.

He added that even in a small family, all members vote for the candidate of their choice and do not follow the family head. “In such a situation why should we fight with political rivals,” he said.

“We are here to support candidates of our parties and not fight among ourselves,” said Gurjit Singh, a youngster. “We understand that for politicians we should not create rift in our villages. We should maintain political loyalties without creating bad blood in our villages,” he added.

In some, 60 per cent votes were cast by noon. However, around 2 pm the flow of voters to polling booths fell, going up again around 4 pm.

Patiala, May 13
Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab and Chandigarh, the oldest and a non-political body of ex-servicemen, has sought a better deal for havildars.

Prabhjot Singh, president of the league, here today said they had asked the committee formed by the Union government under the chairmanship of SM Acharya, secretary (ex-servicemen affairs), to place havildars and equivalent ranks in pay band (PB-2) as these non-commissioned officers formed the backbone of the armed forces and enjoyed the same position as their counterparts.

He said it was a pity that none of the senior officers who spearheaded the demand of placing Lt Cols in PB-4, spoke even a single word when they found these senior non-commissioned officers had been placed in PB-1 along with class IV employees which caused frustration among the personnel below officers rank (PBORs).

The league reiterated its demand of raising minimum pension (applicable to reservist only) to Rs 4,600 per month on the same analogy as it had fixed Rs 3,500 per month for the civilian employees. The Sixth Pay Commission has separated soldiers from civilian by granting MSP (Military Service Pay) to the former at the rate of Rs 2,000 for PBORs and Rs 6,000 for officers.

As such, granting of Rs 3,500 per month as minimum pension to service personnel was not justified by any stretch of law, he said.

The league has also sought support of all like-minded organisations of ex-servicemen (both PBORs and officers) and also some senior officers.

Prabhjot Singh further said the league had reminded the committee that the PBORs counted for 96 per cent of the total strength in the armed forces and they had been crushed by the partial recommendation and faulty implementation of pay commission report.

In the armed forces, havildars and below, who retire before the age of 40 years, count for 85 per cent whereas junior commissioned officers formed a chunk of 11 per cent and the strength of officers is only 4 per cent, he added.