Clash reported at Kajikot village between AAP, SAD workers

Tension prevailed near village Kajikot in Tarn Taran district on Sunday during the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections after a clash broke out between workers of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal. Bricks and stones were allegedly pelted at each other and there were claims of a gunshot being fired during the incident.

In the Kajikot incident, two village women-Gurmeet Kaur and her daughter Kirandeep Kaur-along with two others sustained injuries. Following information about the violence, SDM, Tarn Taran, Gurmeet Singh and DSP Sukhbir Singh rushed to the spot along with heavy police force and brought the situation under control.

DSP Sukhbir Singh maintained that while stone-pelting did take place, he denied any firing during the clash. However, the injured woman, Gurmeet Kaur, claimed that a gunshot was fired at the start of the incident, after which she lost track of how the brick-batting began.

SDM Gurmeet Singh stated that the incident occurred away from the polling station. Meanwhile, villagers alleged that the violence erupted after one group allegedly tried to exert pressure on voters to cast votes in their favour, prompting objections from locals and leading to the clash. After the incident at Kajikot, scattered bricks and stones were seen at the spot, while tight police security was deployed near the government elementary school in the village to prevent any further untoward incident.

Meanwhile, as per official figures, the district recorded an overall voter turnout of 39.3 per cent, while 2,603 voters were still standing in queues at various polling stations at the time of reporting.

Out of a total electorate of 4,57,093 voters in the district, 1,79,904 voters exercised their franchise. Voters in Nagoke block remained ahead throughout the day, recording 32.37 per cent polling by the final round, while Naushehra Pannuan block lagged behind with a turnout of 24.69 per cent.

Polling was held for seven out of 20 Zila Parishad zones and for 67 out of 165 zones of nine Block Samitis in the district.

Barring Kajikot village incident, the elections largely remained peaceful in Tarn Taran.

Meanwhile, the staff at Aladinpur polling station criticised the arrangements made by the administration, alleging that they were neither provided rooms for night stay nor hot water facilities for bathing in the morning.