Peaceful Poll in Punjab

From Our Special Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 9

The One-day polling today to elect 103 members to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in the mid-term election and one member to the Lok Sabha in the Hoshiarpur Parliamentary by-election ended peacefully this evening.

Nearly 65 per cent of the 6.33 million voters in Punjab are officially estimated to have exercised their franchise.

Click here for a larger view of The Tribune Page 1 published on February 9, 1969

The pattern of polling varied from constituency to constituency but in most of the 103 constituencies the polling commenced at eight in the morning on a dull note. It however, picked up after two hours.

According to official sources, 40 cases of impersonation were registered at different places throughout the State.

They also said that reports indicated that election enthusiasm was far more evident in the rural areas than in the towns.

There are 466 candidates belonging to 15 political parties in the field. The number of candidates includes Independents also. Polling in the remaining constituency of Lambi (reserved) will place on March 2. 

PTI adds:

The polling was brisk almost throughout the day although the weather became cloudy and dusty winds began blowing around mid-day. At many polling station in some rural constituencies of Ropar district visited by a PTI correspondent, the rate of polling was as much as two votes per minute.

Brisk and heavy polling was witnessed in the key constituencies of Payal in Ludhiana district; Amritsar West, East and Central and Patti in Amritsar district; Batala and Gurdaspur city in Gurdaspur district; Dharamkot in Ferozepore district; Barapind and Nur Mahal in Jullundhur district and Patiala city in Patiala district.

One of the heaviest turn-out of voters was witnessed in the constituencies of Batala and Gurdaspur city of Gurdaspur district where more than 70 per cent of the voters are officially estimated to have east their votes.

In the rural constituencies enthusiastic villagers came to polling stations on foot, bicycles, bullock-carts and in tractor trailers.

Four former Chief Ministers about 50 former ministers, 77 members of the dissolved State Assembly, two former Assembly Speakers, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High court and a former ruler of an erstwhile princely State are seeking election to 104-State Assembly seats. About a score of defectionists and eight women candidates are also in the field.