Search the Internet          Tips

Polling commences on a peaceful note in Punjab

Polling commenced on Wednesday morning on a slow but smooth note in Punjab, and is likely to pick up as the day progresses.

With blustery conditions prevailing in most parts of the state, polling which began at 8.00 am, is reported to be slow, but is likely to gain pace during the day.

Nearly 15.8 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the daylong polling.

A total of 918 candidates are in the fray for 116 assembly seats out of the 117-member house.

Among the key contestants in the battle of ballot are Shiromani Akali Dal president and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (Lambi), Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh (Patiala town), former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur (Bholath), former Congress chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Lehra Gagga), BJP's Madan Mohan Mittal (Nangal), finance minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh (Banur), Harcharan Singh Brar (Mukatsar), senior BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon (Rajpura), Gaganjit Singh Barnala (Dhuri), son of Uttaranchal Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, Parminder Singh Dhindsa (Sunam), son of Union Minister for Chemicals and fertilisers Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

Counting of votes will take place on February 24.

More then 10,000 polling stations have been set up in the state out of which more then one-third have been declared sensitive.

According to Election Commission officials there has been no report of violence from any part of the state so far.

Though Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal hopes that Akali Dal would be able to get comfortable majority in the elections, it's partner BJP appears to have already conceded defeat.

"We have lost Punjab," a senior BJP leader told rediff.com barely an hour the people of the state started casting their votes.

Over 22,000 electronic voting machines are being used in the state for the first time in the assembly election.

"After the polls are over, these machines would be taken to 69 pre-designated strong rooms where the counting would take place on February 24," Usha Sharma additional chief electoral officer of Punjab told rediff.com.

PTI with inputs from Onkar Singh

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report