Defacements galore in Shahkot

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 24

The poster war among the aspirants for the upcoming Shahkot bypoll has left private properties in the constituency defaced.

With voting scheduled to be held on May 28, apart from rallies by bigwigs of the political parties, meetings and announcements, the parties are aggressively wooing the voters by putting up posters and flexes. Advertisements and posters claiming achievements of the parties can be witnessed at the city’s bus stand, too, where the footfall is heavy everyday.

Some have also installed hoardings, highlighting the problems of their areas and some are with promises or demands from the state government. Many leaders are holding small meetings with people of their area.

In Talwandi Madho, a rally was held yesterday and posters and banners could be seen everywhere, causing defacement.

Returning officer Shahkot Jagjit Singh said he was not aware of the defacement and would look into the matter.

Activities of various political parties have increased with each day as election date comes closer. The aspirants are leaving no stone unturned to make their presence felt in Shahkot.

Door-to-door meetings and rallies are being organised. The leaders are also raising their voice for providing many basic facilities to the electorate in Shahkot.

General Observer, DC review arrangements

General Election Observer Ravi Kant Jain and Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma visited the strongroom set up at Public Senior Secondary School here on Thursday to oversee the arrangements for the dispatch and receiving of the machines. They said the polling parties would be given the EVMs and VVPATs on May 27 and then around 2,400 staff comprising the polling parties would be ferried to the 236 polling stations at 189 locations in more than 50 buses. The same polling parties would come back to the strongroom after the polling was over to hand over the machines.

They said for monitoring the entire work, 21 sector officers, along with other supporting staff, had been appointed. The sector officers would be responsible for the smooth dispatch and receiving of the EVMs and VVPAT machines on both days. Officials said that a sector route plan had been meticulously prepared to ensure the smooth and hassle-free movement of the polling parties to the polling stations.

Both officials also said that all-out efforts would be made to ensure that this work was completed effectively without any delay. They said during the dispatch and receiving of machines, elaborate arrangements would be made for the parking of vehicles in the school.