Day after violence, repolling peaceful in 3 Patiala villages

A day after high drama was witnessed following violence and booth-rigging in three villages of Patiala, the polling process was largely peaceful on Wednesday and the administration was successful in conducting the panchayat polls.

On Tuesday midnight, villagers sat on dharna outside the counting centre in Khudda, Kheti Raju Singh and Karimnagar Chicharwala villages; and following reports of violence, the Election Commission ordered repolling on Wednesday in these three villages.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, tensions ran high in Khudda village where residents sat on a dharna outside the polling booth and locked the polling centre. They demanded strict action against “outsiders” who had trespassed into the village and fired at villagers and left one injured.

“We will not let the electoral process start till the ones involved in violence are arrested,” a villager said, as they raised slogans against the government and the Punjab police. At Khudda village, one person was left injured following a gunshot injury and total chaos and violence prevailed. Later, a ballot box was stolen and acid poured into it. Later, after much persuasion the election process was completed. Sources said the two rival candidates managed to reach a conclusion and sort the issue with “2.5-year tenure for both as sarpanch”. Patiala DC said polling was peaceful in all three villages.

Kulwant Singh was declared winner in Karimnagar, Joginder Singh in Khudda, even as some compromise was reached, while Paramjit Kaur was declared sarpanch.

Meanwhile, in many villages, the election process and counting of votes continued till the wee hours on Wednesday with multiple recounting done at almost a dozen centres.

“Around 100 outsiders armed with weapons openly challenged the villagers and fired gunshots at Khudda and Chicharwala. They threatened the rival candidates and in connivance with the police, put acid in the ballot box and later stole it,” said Patiala MP Dr Dharamavira Gandhi.

“I demand strict action by Patiala DC against the police teams and an FIR against the miscreants,” said Gandhi.