With 74.1% polling, Bathinda tops in state

Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 20

As per the official figures released here on Monday evening, Punjab witnessed a polling percentage of 65.96.

Of the total 2.07 crore voters, as many as 1.37 crore, including 64.51 lakh women, exercised their right to franchise in the state on Sunday. Also, of the total 562 third gender voters, 149 cast the ballot.

Bathinda topped the voters’ tally among all 13 constituencies in the state with 74.10 per cent polling, followed by Sangrur (72.44 per cent) and Ferozepur (72.30 per cent). Meanwhile, Amritsar witnessed the lowest polling with only 57.08 per cent voters exercising their right.

Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, S Karuna Raju said at least nine cases reported under the Cyber Act would be taken up. Under this violation, voters took their mobile phones inside the polling station and showed a picture of them casting their vote for a particular candidate, which is a punishable offence. The list included two voters each in Ludhiana and Mohali and one each in Jalandhar, Muktsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Ropar and Abohar.

Moreover, at least 101 cases were followed up after complaints of excessive use of sound during the campaigning. As many as 51 excessive sound-related complaints have been found to be correct.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kavita Singh said a total of 4,950 C-Vigil complaints were received, of which 1,988 were found to be correct. C-Vigil mobile app allowed voters to report incidents of poll misconduct within minutes of having witnessed them. In the category of general complaints regarding the violation of the model code of conduct, as many as 4,951 complaints were received. Of these, 2962 had been taken up.

Meanwhile, the election machinery included as many as 9,390 micro observers in addition to 17 general observers, seven police observers and 19 expenditure observers of the Election Commission of India. However, not even a single complaint was received under Form 49 MA for cases of wrong voting, which can be verified by voters themselves after they cast their ballot.

Also, as many as 13,000 anganwadi workers and same number of midday meal workers were employed for providing food to the election staff across the state.

Repoll ordered

Chandigarh: The Election Commission has ordered repoll at one polling booth in Amritsar due to negligence in the polling process. “Polling booth No 123” of the Rajasansi Assembly constituency would undergo repoll on May 22, CEO Dr Karuna Raju said here on Monday. — TNS