Polling remains peaceful, minor scuffles reported

Aman Sood

Patiala, June 1

Polling remained largely peaceful, barring a few incidents of sloganeering or minor glitches with voting machines in parts of the Patiala constituency. The Patiala seat, considered to be a Congress dominated seat, is in for a tough contest.

Earlier in the morning, AAP MLA Neena Mittal stirred controversy by posting a video on social media in which she was seen voting for Dr Balbir Singh, the party’s official candidate. After backlash and complaints to the District Electoral Officer, she deleted the video.

In the afternoon, Congress candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi released a video alleging that his opponents were circulating fake calls and messages by him to divert his voters. He also celebrated his birthday at various booths he visited during the day.

In many villages, SAD and Congress workers were seen waiting at booths set up by the party, just a few metres away from the polling stations. However, in many such political booths, the AAP and BJP workers were conspicuous by their absence. Though in urban areas, all four political outfits had their workers in good numbers and were seen ferrying voters to polling stations.

Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said he has toured the length of the district, and barring some minor scuffles, polling was peaceful. “We had mobile teams and additional forces on patrol in vulnerable and critical polling stations. No incidents of violence have been reported so far in the district,” the SSP told the Tribune at the time of filing the copy.

DIG Patiala HS Bhullar said in the morning there were complaints that the BJP workers were not allowed to raise tents for setting up their booths outside the polling stations, following which the local police were asked to ensure that the playing field was level.

Initiative Launched for Deaf Voters:

On the occasion of the General Election, Jagdip Singh Sodhi, the district icon for persons with disabilities (PWD), along with 20 deaf divyang from Patiala, expressed their gratitude to the District Election Officer, Showkat Ahmad Parray, for his initiative to enhance accessibility through Bhartiye Sanketik Bhasha (Indian Sign Language) during the elections.

This initiative marks a historic first for the district, ensuring that deaf and mute voters can participate in the electoral process. The implementation of helpline numbers specifically tailored for deaf and mute voters underscores the commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, enabling them to receive necessary support and information in Indian Sign Language.

DEO Parray said, “Our goal is to make the electoral process as inclusive as possible, ensuring that every citizen has the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. This initiative is a step towards achieving that vision.”

Past equation from 2019 General Election:

Considered to be a Congress citadel, a four-cornered contest is on cards with no ‘hot favourites’ for the Patiala parliamentary seat. The seat is seen as a litmus test for royal scion Preneet Kaur, who faced protests by farmer unions during campaigning. Her ailing husband, Captain Amarinder Singh, could not join her canvassing, and he could not vote this time either.

Her rival from Congress who replaced her in the party, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, who had won the seat in 2014 on the AAP ticket, was keen to pocket the win this time around too.

AAP’s Dr Balbir Singh, who was picked by the party’s high command, has been trying to cash in on CM Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s popularity.

Mohali realtor and two-time SAD MLA, NK Sharma, is eager to make his debut in the Lok Sabha and is eyeing the caste equation, being a Hindu, and the Jatt Sikh Akali cadre in the rural areas. Trying hard to woo the ‘Pandit vote bank’ in the rural areas, Sharma is hopeful of success.

In the 2019 poll, Congress candidate Preneet Kaur, who won the election by over 1.5 lakh votes, failed to make a dent in SAD’s bastion of Dera Bassi, where she trailed behind SAD by over 17,000 votes. Kaur bagged 70,883 votes from the Dera Bassi assembly segment, and Rakhra got 87,993. Sharma, who is a former MLA from Dera Bassi, sees big gains in being a local there.