Local body elections: 1 day to go, Ropar leaders clash over illegal mining, development in video messages

With voting for 10 Zila Parishad zones and Panchayat Samitis in Ropar scheduled tomorrow, the political parties issued video messages on social media as last effort to influence voters.

In Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency, tempers flared as allegations of corruption were levelled against each other by senior Congress and AAP leaders. Videos of a former Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha addressing election rallies during campaigning went viral, in which he accused the AAP government in the state of abetting illegal mining. He alleged that during the Congress rule, the Punjab Government used to earn Rs 250-crore royalty from mining operations in Ropar district annually. However, now nothing was going in the coffers of the state government where as illegal mining continued unabated in monsoon season, even during the 350^th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur observed at Anandpur Sahib. Rana also alleged corruption in registrations of land in tehsils under Ropar district.

Harjot Singh Bains, state Minister for Education, also shared videos of campaigning during which he alleged massive corruption amounting to about Rs 600 crore during the Congress rule in Anandpur Sahib assembly constituency.

He said illegal mining was rampant during the Congress rule and everybody in the constituency knew who was involved in it. The lands of local people were usurped by changing revenue records, he alleged.

In an appeal to people through a video, BJP leader Subhash Sharma sought votes in the name of PM Narendra Modi.

“Punjab has missed the development has happened in other parts of the country. The state has been left behind. It is time that BJP comes to power in the state and Punjab aligns with PM Narendra Modi for speeding up the development in the state,” Sharma said.

As the main political parties in the state closed down their campaign and resorted to booth management for the polls tomorrow, the district administration geared up for voting. The district election officer for the polls, Avikesh Gupta has issued an order banning all kinds of phones or wireless devices within 200 metres from the polling stations.

As the Punjab Government has decided to hold the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls on ballot paper, the elections are being seen as a precursor of Assembly polls that are due in state in February 2027.