Ludhiana witnesses 46.6 per cent voting in zila parishad, block samiti election

Ludhiana district witnessed about 46.6 per cent voting during the zila parishad and block samiti elections held today. The elections started at 8 am, saw tension and arguments at few places, where voters alleged that their names were not in the voter list, but in most of the polling stations the election went peaceful. Tight police security arrangements had been done at sensitive areas.

An old woman, Inderjit Kaur, who had come to cast vote at Government Senior Secondary School, Baddowal, in the morning, alleged that she had been exercising her right for the past over 50 years and today she was told that her name was not there in the list. “Not just mine, all five members of my family were told that their names were not in the list,” said the woman.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, however, said that the zila parishad elections were different from Vidhan Sabha. At times, the supplementary lists reach booths late. “We inquired about the missing voters’ name and then got the supplementary list, where all names and booths had been mentioned. Accordingly, the voters casted their votes and there was no issue,” said Jain. He further said that the exact percentage of voter turnout can be stated later after the polling parties return.

Meanwhile, villagers started coming out from their homes exactly around 8 am to cast their votes at the respective polling stations in the area. Though it was cold, still villagers braved the chill, stood in queues and patiently waited for their turn to cast vote. Till 2 pm, the voter turnout in Ludhiana district was 29.8 per cent while at 4 pm, the polling percentage reached 35 per cent.

The villagers, who were inside the polling stations before 4 pm, were allowed to vote, even if it was 5:15 pm at many polling stations. On being asked about the reason for low turnout of voters, Ajaib Singh, a villager in Dakha area, said that there were few reasons. “These elections are not as important as Vidhan Sabha elections, so the NRIs, who are abroad, will not come to cast vote for the rural polls. Secondly, it was comparatively colder day, so majority of the old people remained inside,” he said.

This time, many youngsters were seen coming forward during the voting process. Tejinderpal Singh, a youth from Dakha, said that the youth have to understand and come forward to save the villages from drugs and many other social evils. “The youngsters can bring about a change,” said the young voter.