Leaders woo Punjab voters with roadshows as hectic campaigning draws to close

Controversies, roadshows, flag marches and protests marked the last day of campaigning for the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in Punjab on Friday, with the polls scheduled for December 14.

At Lang village in Patiala, even as political rivals poured their entire energy to woo the voters, residents made it clear that their votes would go only to those promising a decisive end to the drug menace.

Sangrur AAP MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj triggered a controversy while campaigning as she alleged that certain independent candidates were involved in drug trafficking. She specifically targeted former sarpanch Malwinder Singh Mala, now contesting as an independent from Jhaneri zone, triggering political uproar and sharp denials.

The Khanna police initiated a process for registration of an FIR against 49 government personnel in Samrala subdivision for allegedly breaching election duty orders. Candidates took out tractor rallies at several places.

In Muktsar district, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur campaigned for party candidates in the Malout Assembly segment. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s son Anantveer has been campaigning in the family’s stronghold Lambi for two days. In Gidderbaha, Sukhbir’s campaigning prompted Congress activity, with PPCC chief Raja Warring, his wife and party leaders, including former MLAs Kulbir Singh Zira and Simarjit Singh Bains, coming in support of their candidates. In Fazilka district, AAP MLA from Jalalabad Jagdeep Singh Goldy Kamboj led a roadshow through several villages.

On the final day of campaigning in Amritsar district, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and AAP leader Talbir Singh Gill held rallies in Jandiala Guru and Majitha in support of their party candidates. In the Majitha constituency, MLA Ganieve Kaur Majithia campaigned for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Pawanpreet Kaur Nimbrewind, who is contesting from the zila parishad zone of Tarsikka.

In Jalandhar, the district administration and the police have started gearing up to ensure the smooth conduct of polls. In Kapurthala, a flag march was taken out by SSP Gaurav Toora while Phagwara SP Madhvi Sharma led the march. As many as 669 candidates are contesting the local bodies elections in the district. The polling will take place at 1,209 booths.