60% polling in Mohali district
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Mohali, February 14
About 60 per cent polling was witnessed in the elections to the Mohali MC and seven municipal councils in the district today. Of a total of 4,78,503 electorate, 2,87,479 voters (1,51,034 men, 1,36,444 women and one transgender) exercised their franchise in the district.
- Also read: BJP leader, 3 others hurt in clashes at Dera Bassi
- Groom casts vote before leaving for wedding venue in Mohali
- Civic Body Poll: 6 held for ransacking BJP candidate’s booth in Mohali
In Mohali MC, 56 per cent polling was witnessed this year compared to 61 per cent in 2015, showing a decline of 5 pc. In Mohali, of a total 1,05,229 voters, 57,881 voters exercised their franchise.
District Election Officer Girish Dayalan said voting for the Mohali MC and seven Municipal Councils in the district was conducted peacefully and smoothly. He said enthusiasm was witnessed among voters at Banur which saw 77.91 per cent polling, followed by Lalru with 75.91 per cent. In Kurali, 69.24 per cent polling was witnessed while in Nayagaon 65.90 per cent votes were polled. At Kharar, only 58 per cent voters cast their vote. At Dera Bassi, 65.69 per cent voters exercised their right to franchise while at Zirakpur, the turnout was 55.53 per cent.
While praising the entire polling staff for performing their duty very well, he thanked the people of the district and all political parties for their cooperation.
The polling began on a slow note. But as the day progressed, the voting percentage increased across the district. After the polling began at 8 am, only 12.5 per cent voting was witnessed till 10 am in the Mohali Municipal Corporation. It was 13 per cent at Kurali, 12 per cent at Zirakpur, 19.69 per cent at Lalru, 14.48 per cent at Dera Bassi, 17 per cent at Nayagaon and 15 per cent at Banur. At about 12 noon, the polling picked up to 26.5 per cent in Mohali , 31 per cent at Banur, 35.2 per cent at Kurali, 22 per cent at Kharar, 35 per cent at Nayagaon, 42.35 per cent at Lalru, 31. 24 per cent at Dera Bassi and 23 per cent at Zirakpur.
After two hours at 2 pm, 15 per cent increase in polling was witnessed in the Mohali MC taking the total voting percentage to 41.5 per cent.
Specially abled left in the lurch
In Ward No. 33 of Sohana, specially abled people had to face problems as there was no wheelchair. The family members had to carry them on their shoulders to the polling booth.
Long queues in Ward No. 1 of Mohali MC
A long queue was witnessed in Ward No. 1 of the Mohali MC and voters had to wait from 45 minutes to an hour to cast their votes. Surinder Kaur said she had to wait for about 50 minutes in a queue before she could cast her vote. The Residents Welfare Society of the same ward had started a community kitchen to encourage voters to come out of their houses and exercise their right to franchise.
