Punjab elections: All action from day of polling as it unfolded

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4

A blow-by-blow account of the polling day in Punjab, with field reports and pictures straight as they arrived.

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CHANDIGARH

Election Commission revises polling percentage to 78.6, same as 2012 Assembly elections. Jalalabad constituency, where SAD's Sukhbir Badal is pitted against AAP's Bhagwant Mann and Congress' Ravneet Singh Bittu, registered a high of 86% polling.

PATIALA (Updated 9:13 pm)

AAP and SAD workers accuse each other of harassing their supporters. Police rush in.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 9:10 pm)

Final vote polled in Punjab: 75 per cent

CHANDIGARH (Updated 8:52 pm)

FARIDKOT (Updated 8:50 pm)

Last voter in Faridkot cast his vote at around 6.45 pm. District election office estimated that some 3,677 voters were still queued up at 57 polling booths in the district at 5 pm.

Records also showed that 78.75 per cent of total 1,53,573 registered voters in the assembly segment had cast their ballots by 5 pm.

NEW DELHI (Updated 7:45 pm)

Out of 22,615 EVMs deployed, only 47 malfunctioned and replaced. Out of total 6,668 VVPATs deployed 187 replaced.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 7:02 pm)

Final voting percentage in Punjab is expected to be 75 percent, CEO VK Singh said.

SANGRUR (Updated 7:01pm)

SAD and Congress workered clash in Lehragaga. Two injured.

NEW DELHI (Updated 5:20 pm)

“Any voter reporting to the booth up to 5 pm will be allowed to cast his or her vote, even beyond schedule time. Entire election machinery up to polling booth level has been directed to facilitate voting by such voters,” said Election Commission of India’s directive to its machinery.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 6:05 pm)

70 per cent polling until 5 pm. Some voters still waiting in queues to cast their ballot.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 5:10 pm)

Voting closes at 5 pm, no change in time, CEO clarifies after a meeting with AAP leaders. “Polling in Goa is scheduled from 7 am to 5 pm whereas in Punjab it is 8 am to 5 pm. This is discrimination with Punjabis,” says Sanjay Singh. "A large number of voters have failed to cast vote."

“Elections are normally held 8 am to 5 pm in Punjab. Timings can't be compared with Goa.  All voters who enter polling stations by 5 pm will be able to cast votes,” CEO VK Singh said.  

CHANDIGARH (Updated 5:05 pm)

At 4 pm, highest polling of 73 per cent reported in Fazilka and Sangrur. Lowest (56 percent) in Ropar.

BATHINDA (Updated 5:03 pm)

AAP workers clash with SAD workers over alleged fake votes. Congress workers also jumped in, enter into heated arguments with SAD workers in Maur.

ZIRAKPUR (Updated 4:53 pm)

Firing incident reported in Lohgarh village.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 4:50 pm)

66 per cent polling in Punjab until 4 pm.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 4:36 pm)

AAP demands polling time to be extended till 6 pm; Deepak Vajpayee and AAP legal team members at CEO’s office. Main concern is Majithia segment where police are not cooperating, AAP team alleges. Sanjay Singh reaches CEO's office.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 4:21 pm)

Poll percentage at 3 pm: Pathankot 59, Gurdaspur 56, Hoshiarpur 58, Ropar 58, Mohali 54, Fatehgarh Sahib 65, Ludhiana 60.5, Ferozepur 59.5, Muktsar 60.5, Faridkot 62, Barnala 54.6, Patiala 59.5

LUDHIANA (Updated 4:20 pm)

High drama near booth no 129 in Gandhi Nagar of Rampura city after Congress worker Vinod Kumar Neeta accused Akali leader-cum-former Market Committee Chairman Parveen Kansal Rocky of assaulting him. He alleged that Rocky was distributing cash among voters, which Neeta denied. Minor clash followed heated arguments. Police asked Neeta to lodge complaint but he refused. 'There is no use of lodging complaint with police. There is a goonda raj'. SHO said: 'I am urging victim to come and lodge complaint but he is unwilling. There was no clash rather it was a minute scuffle”.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 4:15 pm)
56.9% polling in Punjab until 3 pm.

TARN TARAN (Updated: 4:11 pm)  

Congress worker Jagjit Singh injured after two shots allegedly fired at him by SAD sarpanch of Lalu, Ghuman Desa Singh, and his supporters outside polling booths. Bullets hit his belly and leg.

MOGA (Updated 4:10 pm)

EC seeks report regarding EVM displaying 50 extra votes at polling booth no 145.

JALANDHAR (Updated 4:10pm)

Clash between AAP, BSP supporters this morning after drunken BSP Sarpanch Khushi Ram picked up a fight and tried to barge in. Congress also alleges Khushi Ram was abusing non-BSP voters.

AMRITSAR (Updated 4:05 pm)

Amritsar south assembly constituency is lowest in the polling percentage, at 33 per cent, in the state. Gurpartap Singh Tikka of SAD, Inderbir Singh Bolaria of Congress and Inderbir Singh Nijjar of AAP are contesting on this seat.                       

ZIRAKPUR (Updated 4:05 pm)

Indian gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra casts his vote at Chatt village.                    

TARN TARAN (Updated 4:00 pm)

Firing reported in Tarn Taran village. One injured.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 4:00 pm)

No VVPAT surplus in Sangrur, Roopnagar, Muktsar, Jalandhar Cantt. Lehra has three and Majitha only one.

FARIDKOT (Updated: 3:55 pm)

After they were offered money to 'buy' their votes, about 40 youths in Kamena village marched to a polling booth in the village to vote and openly declared whom they would vote for.

FEROZEPUR (Updated 3:45 pm)

Firing incident reported in Guruharsahai.

CHANDIGARH (Updated 3:45 pm)

Highest polling to date reported in Ghanaur and Samana (61 per cent). Lowest in Jalandhar Cantt (32 per cent).

FARIDKOT (Updated 3:45 pm)

Lowest voting percentage at 42 per cent in Amritsar; close to 43 per cent at Ropar.

MUKTSAR (Updated 3:45 pm)

Akali worker injured in clash with Congress activists at Killanwali village in Lambi. Sustains head injury. Brought to Community Health Centre, Lambi. Referred to Bathinda.