48.2% voting in Karnal; Cong, BJP confident of victory

Barring a few incidents of technical glitches in the EVMs, voting passed off peacefully in Karnal, Indri, Nilokheri and Assandh civic bodies.

The Karnal MC recorded 48.2 per cent voter turnout, while the Assandh bypoll witnessed around 33.2 per cent voter turnout. Indri, Nilokheri and Tarori (one ward) civic bodies saw 72.7 per cent, 67.4 per cent and 76.4 per cent voting, respectively.

In Kaithal district, Kalayat, Pundri and Siwan MCs recorded 78.8 per cent, 74.1 per cent and 79.8 per cent voter turnout, respectively.

Four candidates were in the fray for the post of Mayor in Karnal, with BJP candidate Renu Bala Gupta and Congress nominee Manoj Wadhwa as the key contenders. Out of 20 wards in Karnal, two BJP councillors were elected unopposed.

In Karnal, technical glitches were reported at different booths, including Ward no. 2, where voters alleged that a button was not working properly, causing temporary delays in the voting process.

Though voting began at 8 am, initial couple of hours saw a low turnout. As the day progressed, voters, including youth, senior citizens and women gradually stepped out to exercise their franchise.

The first prominent leader to cast his vote was Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who voted at Prem Nagar. He urged the people to participate in this ‘festival of democracy’, emphasising the importance of voting in shaping the city’s future. “I firmly believe that our candidates, Renu Bala and councillors, will secure an emphatic victory,” he said.

When asked about speculations regarding a potential bigger role for him at the central level, Khattar said, “The responsibilities I currently hold are significant. I have always been a disciplined worker of the party. Whatever responsibility is assigned to me, I fulfill it with complete dedication.”

BJP’s mayoral candidate Renu Bala Gupta cast her vote alongside her family. She appealed to the voters to turn out in large numbers and contribute to the city’s progress. “The BJP has consistently focused on development. With a triple-engine government at the centre, state, and local level, we will accelerate development projects further,” she said.

BJP MLA Jagmohan Anand also exercised his franchise along with his family.

Congress mayoral candidate Manoj Wadhwa, along with his family members, cast his vote at a polling centre in Sector 13. Confident of his victory, he said the people were looking for change.

In the evening, a tense situation prevailed at Ward no.15, where supporters of two candidates got into a scuffle.