Tribuen News Service
Chandigarh/Muktsar, September 19
The Shiromani Akali Dal has alleged more than 60 incidents of booth capturing during the polling to zila parishads and panchayat samitis on Wednesday.
Party senior vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema and former minister Bikram Majithia said cases were registered against Akali candidates under the SC Act, mostly in the Majha region.
They alleged in Dera Bassi, the presiding officer in Amalala himself got ballot papers stamped in favour of Congress candidates. A packet was seized from his possession by the Akali polling agent, they said.
"In Dhuri, the presiding officer closed down the booth and started stamping the ballot papers in favour of Congress candidates. This happened in Kumbarwar under block samiti Sherpur," they claimed.
Replying to queries about a video of Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal's security guards charging at some persons at Killianwali going viral, Majithia said they were trying to catch those who were capturing the booths in the village. They were seen capturing the village booth, he added.
The Akali Dal claimed papers of 249 of their candidates were rejected. In Makhu, Zira, Guru Harsahai and Patti and Dera Baba Nanak, either SAD candidates were not allowed to file nominations or Congress men snatched their papers and ran away, it alleged.
However, the administration refuted the allegations.
Badal also visited Killianwali village, where a large number of Congress workers were allegedly present holding sticks. The former CM said he was in touch with the DGP and other senior police officers, but the SSP was not taking his phone calls.
In Muktsar, 10 people were rounded up with weapons and live cartridges from Manjinder Singh Bittu's hotel. Bittu is the son of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh. He is contesting the Zila Parishad election from Udekaran zone.
Former SAD minister Sikander Singh Maluka, along with SAD workers, staged a protest on the Barnala-Bajakhana road alleging the misuse of official machinery by the Congress in Rampura constituency and alleged booth-capturing at Kangar village.
Kangar village is the native village of Power Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar. However, the administration denied any such activity saying the voting at Kangar village was going on peacefully.