PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS: Door-to-door campaigning picks up pace

After finalising of the candidature of sarpanches and panches, the election campaign has picked up pace in villages of the district. Posters and flex boards are being displayed by candidates at their respective villages. This is a new trend witnessed in villages ahead of the elections as almost all voters know their candidates well and there is no need for such publicity material.

Candidates can be seen visiting door-to-door to ask voters to vote in their favour. “Khyaal rakhyeo” (Please take care) is a common phrase used by a candidate when he/she meets voters. Though a voter might not have decided to vote for a particular candidate, he would respond, “You are the only option,” shared Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Jahangir village.

Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sohain Kalaln village, said, “In our village, the post of sarpanch is reserved for women. All contestants are visiting door-to-door while campaigning for the polls. Meetings are being held with villagers.”

The panchayat elections is scheduled on October 15. The campaigning would end on October 13 evening. Only three days are left for candidates to hold public meetings. Villagers are gathering at residence of contestants to extend their support.

“Liquor, meat, food and sweets are served to supporters and voters. Though contestants pay for eatables, it is not counted in the poll expenditure. There are several villages where contestants have been elected unopposed. Voters of these villages have missed election fervour,” said Surinder Singh of Dadduana village on Mehta Road.