February 9, 2017 by admin

Brisk voting in Punjab repoll at 48 stations

Chandigarh, Brisk voting was witnessed in the repolling at 48 polling stations of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency and the five Assembly segments, following malfunctioning in VVPATs and EVMs during the February 4 elections.

Till 2 pm, Sardulgarh recorded 70 per cent voting, Sangrur 65.2 per cent, Muktsar 69.38 per cent, Amritsar 56 per cent and Moga 56.49 per cent voting. Majitha recorded 48 per cent vote count till 12.30 pm.
The polling hours are from 8 am to 5 pm and all voters queued up at the polling stations till 5 pm can cast their vote.
SAD candidate Bikram Singh Majithia, after he cast his vote at booth no 35 in the Majitha Assembly constituency, said the repolling would not affect the prospects of the Akalis in Punjab, and he welcomed the EC’s decision.
Taking a jibe at AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, he said: “It must have been for the first time in seven decades that someone was compelled to point out in full House about Mann’s drinking habit. I ask Kejriwal to set an example by taking an action against his MP (Mann) who represents over 11 lakh people. The AAP has been exposed.”
On the allegations levelled by the Congress candidate about the SAD supporters bribing voters and enjoying immunity from police at his behest, Bikram said there was no complainant in that case.
“It is a concocted story enacted by Lalli Majithia who filmed the clipping and propagated it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha bypoll, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, and Assembly candidate Lalli Majithia alleged that the police were working under the influence of Bikram Majithia to “terrorise the Congress workers”.
They alleged that Bikram was trying “to implicate the Congress workers in wrong police cases”.
They alleged that the SAD workers were bribing the voters. However, Lalli said that he was satisfied by the EC’s security arrangements at the polling booths, andthat the repolling would benefit the Congress.
AAP candidate Himmat Singh Shergill alleged that the Congress and SAD had been exposed for adopting unfair means of “alluring voters by offering cash and liquor to them”.
He said the EC should take note of it, and demanded that the candidature of both the Congress and SAD should be held nullified.
He said: “Enough proof is there to prove how both the parties have violated the EC guidelines for vested political interests. People have now realised the ideology and sanctity of the AAP and I am hopeful of getting a good support.”
The EC had ordered repolling at 12 polling stations of Majitha Assembly seat, nine each of Muktsar and Sangrur, one each of Moga and Sardulgarh and 16 polling stations of Amritsar parliamentary constituency.
The central paramilitary force has been deployed at each polling station and no outsider will be allowed to stay.
Problem in VVPAT was witnessed in Majithia, Muktsar and Sangrur Assembly segments while EVMs were found faulty in Moga and Sardulgarh segments. The EC had used VVPAT for the first time in Punjab at 6,668 polling stations in 33 Assembly segments and two segments in the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.
Polling was affected at 25 polling stations in Majitha and 10 each in Sangrur and Muktsar because of VVPAT malfunctioning.
The Punjab government has announced a holiday in these five districts.
A ‘paid holiday’ in factories, shops and commercial establishments situated in the area of Amritsar parliamentary constituency and the assembly constituencies has also been declared.