Voting peaceful, BJP faces ‘tough fight’ on all 5 seats in Karnal

With the completion of the voting process on Saturday, the fate of 55 candidates contesting across five Assembly segments was sealed in the electronic voting machines at 1,181 polling booths.

As many as 12 candidates were in fray from the Karnal Assembly segment, 15 in Nilokheri, 14 in Assandh, eight in Gharaunda and six in Indri.

Around 62.5 per cent of the eligible voters cast their ballot across these five segments in the district. It was 64.6 per cent during the 2019 Assembly elections.

Assandh Assembly segment witnessed a voter turnout of 63.9 per cent, Gharaunda 68.5 per cent, Indri 68.3 per cent, Karnal 53.5 per cent and Nilokheri Assembly segment 59.9 per cent. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the voter turnout was 64 per cent in Nilokheri, 72.8 per cent in Indri, 52.6 per cent in Karnal, 67.1 per cent in Gharaunda and 68.4 per cent in Assandh. In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Gharaunda Assembly segment had recorded 66 per cent voting, Assandh 59.5 per cent, Karnal 57.9 per cent, Indri 68.7 per cent and Nilokheri 61.2 per cent.

Karnal district holds significant political importance as it is the constituency from which former chief minister and Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was elected as Member of Parliament. Additionally, current caretaker Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was also elected as Member of Legislative Assembly from here in the recently held Assembly byelection on May 25 this year. Despite this, the reports from polling stations suggest that the BJP is facing a tough fight in all five constituencies.

In Karnal, BJP candidate Jagmohan Anand is in a close contest with Congress candidate Sumita Singh, while in Indri, BJP’s Ram Kumar Kashyap is in a neck-and-neck contest with Congress candidate Rakesh Kamboj. Gharaunda is witnessing a very tough competition between BJP’s Harvinder Kalyan and Congress candidate Virender Rathore. Assandh Assembly segment has witnessed a multi-cornered race, with Congress candidate Shamsher Singh Gogi in a close contest against BJP’s Yoginder Rana, Independent candidate Zile Ram Sharma and INLD-BSP’s Gopal Rana. In Nilokheri, BJP’s Bhagwan Das Kabirpanthi is facing a direct challenge from Congress’ Dharampal Gonder. Early trends indicate that the margin of victory in these seats could be very thin, keeping political parties on edge.

“The voting went peacefully in the district. No untoward incident has been reported,” said Uttam Singh, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer.

Initially, polling stations wore a deserted look as voting began slowly, with most booths remaining quiet until the afternoon. However, as the day progressed, voter participation picked up pace, with many voters turning out later in the evening. There was a notable enthusiasm among first-time voters. “I have cast my first vote and it feels great to contribute towards the strengthening of democracy,” said Priya, a first-time voter from Karnal. Vanshika, another first-time voter, expressed hope that votes of first-timers would play a crucial role in the election’s outcome.

Among the elderly, 85-year-old Ajayab Singh also cast his vote. He said, “It is our responsibility to elect the government, and every vote counts.”

To boost participation of women, the administration had set up several all-women ‘pink booths’. Special arrangements were made to accommodate first-time voters, senior citizens and persons with disabilities voters. Outside polling stations, supporters of various candidates set up counters to assist voters and convince them to support their respective parties.

Meanwhile, candidates kept a close eye on the developments, frequently consulting their polling agents to assess voter turnout and strategise accordingly.

As the dust settles on polling day, all eyes are now on the results which would be declared on October 8.