Punjab Bypolls: 66.50 Per Cent Polling In Four Assembly Constituencies

An overall turnout of 66.50 per cent was registered in the bypolls to four assembly seats—Phagwara (reserve), Jalalabad, Dakha and Mukerian—in Punjab, with the chief electoral officer saying that voting was peaceful. Highest polling was witnessed in Jalalabad at 75.46 per cent, followed by 71.64 per cent in Dakha and 58.62 per cent in Mukerian, a poll official said, adding that Phagwara reserve seat recorded a turnout of 55.97 per cent.

Although the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal claimed that one of their workers was injured in a firing incident in Dakha assembly constituency, the election office said it was not a poll-related incident. "The polling was overall peaceful in four assembly segments," Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju told PTI on Monday evening.

Polling began at 7 am on Monday and voters in the queue were allowed to exercise their franchise even after 6 pm, officials said. Polling was slow in the morning, but as the day progressed it picked up pace. Around 7.76 lakh voters were eligible to decide the fate of 33 candidates. The results of the elections will be declared on October 24.

Raju said during the mock poll in the morning, 11 ballot units, 11 control units and 41 VVPAT machines were replaced and one control unit, two ballot units and 34 VVPATs were replaced during the conduct of poll.

Also Read | Haryana Polls: PM Modi Has No Understanding Of Economics, Says Rahul Gandhi In Mahendergarh

Not a single case of disruption of poll and inducement of voters was brought to the notice of the Commission, he said. In the last elections, while the SAD-BJP combine had bagged two of the four assembly segments, one each was won by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

This time, the main contest is between the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine. For the ruling Congress, the bypolls is a litmus test for Chief Minister Amarinder Singh-led government over the acceptability of its policies and programmes.

The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance and AAP also hope to make a comeback in these bypolls. While the SAD is contesting the Jalalabad and Dakha seats, its ally BJP has fielded candidates in Phagwara and Mukerian.

On the Dakha seat, the Congress has fielded Sandeep Sandhu, the political secretary of the chief minister against SAD nominee Manpreet Singh Ayali. It is being seen as a keen contest between the Congress and the Akalis.

Amarinder Singh had himself taken out two roadshows to canvass for Sandhu, while the SAD charged the state government with “high-handedness” and “misuse” of official machinery to influence voters in this seat.

The Dakha seat fell vacant following the resignation of former AAP leader and noted Supreme Court lawyer H S Phoolka from the state assembly. SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema alleged on Monday that a party worker identified as Gopi was seriously injured in a firing incident in Jangpur village of Dakha.