Khadoor Sahib Voter turnout 61.6%: Disenchantment with parties creates buzz in Amritpal Singh’s favour
Manmeet Singh Gill & Gurbax Puri
Tribune News Service
Khadoor Sahib, June 1
Amid an apparent buzz in favour of jailed self-styled Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, the polling in Khadoor Sahib constituency went off largely peacefully.
The overall turnout was 61.6 per cent. The Zira Assembly segment, represented by Congress MLA Kuldip Singh Zira, witnessed the highest turnout of 63.7 per cent till 5 pm, while the semi-urban Tarn Taran Assembly segment polled the lowest 49.5 per cent votes.
SAD booths missing
- SAD booths were not visible in many villages and the party has reportedly started counting its losses
- Party candidate Virsa Singh Valtoha did not have any booth in the Assembly segment that he has represented twice
Apart from BJP workers accusing unidentified people of snatching poll material at Khabae Dogra village , there were no untoward incidents.
People said that Amritpal’s popularity was a result of peoples’ disenchantment with mainstream political parties and Sikh leadership as well as the “harsh” action taken against him by the state. But they seemed unwilling to openly talk about Amritpal’s separatist ideas.
Congress candidate Zira, who is banking on his father Hari Singh Zira’s legacy, may turn out to be the dark horse in case the support for Amritpal fails to translate into votes. Unlike SAD and BJP candidates, support was visible for him across all villages. SAD booths were not visible in many villages and the party has reportedly already started counting its losses. Party candidate Virsa Singh Valtoha didn’t even have any party booth in the Assembly segment he has represented twice.
At Pahuwind village, a supporter of Amritpal said, “You may question SAD supporters about missing party booths, provided you are able to find anyone of them here.”
Interestingly, nor had Amritpal supporters put up his booth in Valtoha’s village. “The village elders had advised youths to avoid taking ‘panga’. But there will be lot of ‘secret voting’ for Amritpal here,” said a youth coming out of the polling station.
