Indian National Lok Dal draws blank in 20 booths

Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, May 24

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), headed by Abhay Chautala, did not get even a single vote in 20 booths in two assembly segments of Panchkula and Kalka, the results of which were declared on Thursday.

Not even a single vote was polled in favour of any candidate at two booths in Panchkula and one booth in Kalka Assembly segments. These included booth number 4, Government Model School, Chandikotla, and booth number 41, Government Primary School, Sector 21, in Panchkula segment and booth number 144 in Bhoje Koti village in Kalka. During counting of votes, not even a single vote was found to be polled in favour of any candidate.

The Congress got lead in booth number 127 in Sector 16 school and booth number 38 in Sector 21 Government Primary School where they got 362 and 181 votes, respectively, while the BJP got 333 and 180 votes. The BJP got the maximum number of votes in booth no 166 at Government Senior Secondary School in Khetparali village. The BJP got 726 votes, whereas the Congress got only 28 votes.

In the Kalka Assembly segment, BJP candidate Rattan Lal Kataria got the maximum number of votes from booth nos. 1 to 42. Kalka area was considered to be the stronghold of the INLD, but its vote share got transferred to the BJP this time. The BJP got two-third votes of the total ballots in Nawan Nagar, Marranwala, Kona, Karanpur, Piploha, Charniya, Tagra, Kiratpur and Dhamala villages.

Urban area was divided between booth no. 43 and 56 where shopkeepers and businessmen termed the BJP as their first choice. The BJP got a lead of more than 3,500 votes in the area. People of Pinjore area comprising booth nos. 57 to 112 also overwhelmingly voted in favour of the BJP. More than 60 per cent people in Surajpur, Rajjipur and villages along the National Highway cast their votes in favour of the BJP. Here, the BJP got 6,479 votes, whereas the Congress got 2,200 votes.

In backward villages along the National Highway No. 73 falling in Raipur Rani and Barwala blocks, maximum number of people cast their votes in favour of the BJP from booths no 171 to 273. The Congress remained weak this time as it got only 2,200 votes against 5,500 votes polled in 2014.