Punjab records 71.95 pc turnout on polling day; Gidderbaha tops with 84.9 pc voting

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

Polling for Punjab Assembly Elections on Sunday ended peacefully with 71.95 per cent of the total 2.14 crore voters in the state turning out to exercise their franchise.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, S Karuna Raju said of total 1,54,69,618 persons who have cast votes, there were 81,33,930 males and 73,35,406 females, while 282 were transgenders/others.

Giving the final details here on Monday, the CEO said of total 117 constituencies of the state, Gidderbaha remained at the top with highest polling percentage 84.93%, followed by Talwandi Sabo (83.70%) and Sardulgarh (83.64%), while Amritsar West (55.40%), Ludhiana South (59.04%) and Amritsar Central (59.19%) constituencies have witnessed lowest voting percentage.

He said scrutiny reports of all the 23 districts have been received at the Office of Chief Electoral Officer.

He said over 23 tonnes of Covid waste, which includes PPE Kits, face masks, hand gloves, face shields, etc., was generated from 24,740 polling stations on polling day in the state. The waste was collected and disposed of with the help of District Nodal Officers of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) appointed in each district in an environmentally sound manner, he added.

On law and order situation, CEO Raju said some minor poll related incidents witnessed in the state and a total of 33 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered on day of polling to avert any untoward incidents. Of the total 33 FIRs, 10 were related minor clashes, 16 of violation of prohibitory orders, three of poll-related offences, three of other cases and one was related to firing Incident.

Raju said after voting ended peacefully at 6 pm on Sunday all the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been moved to the respective strong rooms. All the 117 strong rooms at 66 locations were sealed and as per the ECI guidelines, three-tier security measures have been set up with deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Armed Police and Punjab Police. He said security forces have been keeping strict vigil round the clock at strong rooms.

He said 65 ballot units, 60 control units and 738 VVPATs were replaced during the conduct of poll.

The CEO again thanked people of Punjab for coming out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right in a peaceful in the festive environment. He also thanked all the polling personnel, security personnel, Punjab Police personnel, 25,000 booth level officers, PWD coordinators, Asha workers, aanganwadi workers, mid-day-meal workers and village chowkidars for working day and night to ensure free, fair peaceful and inclusive polls in the state.

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