CHANDIGARH: Nearly 50 per cent polling was recorded till 3 pm in Punjab, where voting is going on in all 117 assembly seats amid tight security arrangements.
Voting began at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm.
A total of 700 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, besides state police personnel, have been deployed for peaceful polling.
A total of 1,304 candidates are in the fray, including 93 women and two transgenders.
According to the Punjab Chief Electoral Office, an average voter turnout of 49.81 per cent was recorded till 3 pm.
Malerkotla recorded the highest voter turnout of 57.07 while Mohali recorded the lowest voter turnout of 42%.
Fazilka recorded 56.97 percent, Mansa 56.94 percent, Muktsar 56.12 percent, Bathinda 55.48 percent, Firozpur 55.08 percent, Amritsar 44.29 percent, Ludhiana 45.11 percent, Jalandhar 45.53 percent and Patiala 54.30 percent.
At a polling station in Amritsar, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu And Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia came face to face and congratulated each other. Both the leaders are contesting against each other from Amritsar East.
AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann met his mother at her native place.
Famous conjoined twins based in Amritsar Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, fondly known as Sohna-Mohana, cast their votes separately.
Sohna-Mohana was recently handed over two different Electoral Photo Identity Cards by Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju.
Both turned 18 last year and voted for the first time.
The twins said they were extremely happy as both were able to exercise their franchise.
Officials said the twins were treated as two separate voters and special arrangements were made for them so that both could maintain the secrecy of their votes.
The Election Commission has reined in the actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood He visited polling booths in Moga after complaints that he was trying to influence voters.
His vehicle has also been seized by the police, officials said.
However, Sood, who denied the allegations, alleged that other candidates were trying to buy votes.
Sood’s sister Malvika Sood Sachar is the Congress candidate from Moga.
A young woman dressed as a bride had gone to cast her vote in a village in Zirakpur, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, before performing the wedding rituals.
Enthusiasm was seen among the voters, especially for the first time, at the women-run pink polling stations in the state.
There are 196 pink polling stations for women while 70 polling stations are being managed by Persons with Disabilities (PWD).
Elders were helped at the polling stations. Wheelchairs were also arranged at the polling stations.
First time voters were given certificates at the polling stations.
Those who voted so far include former chief minister and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal (94), the oldest candidate, ministers Manpreet Singh Badal, Pargat Singh and Vijay Inder Singla, Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa and Punjab BJP president Ashwini Sharma.
AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann exercises his franchise in Mohali.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also cast their votes.
Sukhbir Badal Driving his own vehicle, brought the family to vote in Muktsar.
you leader Raghav Chadha In his tweet, he alleged that a sarpanch tried to influence voters at a polling booth in Gurharsahai. He claimed that some EVMs are defective in Sanaur, Attari and Majitha.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise.
In the morning, Charanjit Singh Channi bowed his head at religious places in his home area Chamkaur Sahib. He claimed that the Congress would get a two-thirds majority in the elections.
After casting his vote, Parkash Singh Badal said, “I am happy that our democracy is very strong. I will continue to serve our people till my last breath.”
Sukhbir Badal said the SAD-BSP alliance will win more than 80 seats.
Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that she would urge every voter to vote.
“There is going to be a clean sweep in favor of a tried and tested regional party that understands the aspirations of the people,” Harsimrat said.
Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also expressed confidence of his victory in Patiala. Asked how big a challenge these elections were, Amarinder said, “Not much. We will win.”
Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur, who is a Congress MP, said, “I have always supported Captain Sahab (Amarinder). This is my family and my family is above all.”
A total of 2,14,99,804 people including 1,02,00,996 women are eligible to vote.
There are 24,740 polling stations, of which 2,013 have been identified as serious, while 2,952 are vulnerable.
Punjab is witnessing a multi-cornered contest between the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (United) and the Samyukta Samaj Morcha (SSM), the political front of various farmers’ organisations.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is contesting the elections in alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
BJP is contesting the elections with an alliance led by Amarinder Singh Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (United).
SSM Haryana is contesting the elections with the Samyukta Sangharsh Party led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni.
Voting began at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm.
A total of 700 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, besides state police personnel, have been deployed for peaceful polling.
A total of 1,304 candidates are in the fray, including 93 women and two transgenders.
According to the Punjab Chief Electoral Office, an average voter turnout of 49.81 per cent was recorded till 3 pm.
Malerkotla recorded the highest voter turnout of 57.07 while Mohali recorded the lowest voter turnout of 42%.
Fazilka recorded 56.97 percent, Mansa 56.94 percent, Muktsar 56.12 percent, Bathinda 55.48 percent, Firozpur 55.08 percent, Amritsar 44.29 percent, Ludhiana 45.11 percent, Jalandhar 45.53 percent and Patiala 54.30 percent.
At a polling station in Amritsar, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu And Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia came face to face and congratulated each other. Both the leaders are contesting against each other from Amritsar East.
AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann met his mother at her native place.
Famous conjoined twins based in Amritsar Sohan Singh and Mohan Singh, fondly known as Sohna-Mohana, cast their votes separately.
Sohna-Mohana was recently handed over two different Electoral Photo Identity Cards by Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju.
Both turned 18 last year and voted for the first time.
The twins said they were extremely happy as both were able to exercise their franchise.
Officials said the twins were treated as two separate voters and special arrangements were made for them so that both could maintain the secrecy of their votes.
The Election Commission has reined in the actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood He visited polling booths in Moga after complaints that he was trying to influence voters.
His vehicle has also been seized by the police, officials said.
However, Sood, who denied the allegations, alleged that other candidates were trying to buy votes.
Sood’s sister Malvika Sood Sachar is the Congress candidate from Moga.
A young woman dressed as a bride had gone to cast her vote in a village in Zirakpur, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, before performing the wedding rituals.
Enthusiasm was seen among the voters, especially for the first time, at the women-run pink polling stations in the state.
There are 196 pink polling stations for women while 70 polling stations are being managed by Persons with Disabilities (PWD).
Elders were helped at the polling stations. Wheelchairs were also arranged at the polling stations.
First time voters were given certificates at the polling stations.
Those who voted so far include former chief minister and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal (94), the oldest candidate, ministers Manpreet Singh Badal, Pargat Singh and Vijay Inder Singla, Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa and Punjab BJP president Ashwini Sharma.
AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann exercises his franchise in Mohali.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal also cast their votes.
Sukhbir Badal Driving his own vehicle, brought the family to vote in Muktsar.
you leader Raghav Chadha In his tweet, he alleged that a sarpanch tried to influence voters at a polling booth in Gurharsahai. He claimed that some EVMs are defective in Sanaur, Attari and Majitha.
Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise.
In the morning, Charanjit Singh Channi bowed his head at religious places in his home area Chamkaur Sahib. He claimed that the Congress would get a two-thirds majority in the elections.
After casting his vote, Parkash Singh Badal said, “I am happy that our democracy is very strong. I will continue to serve our people till my last breath.”
Sukhbir Badal said the SAD-BSP alliance will win more than 80 seats.
Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that she would urge every voter to vote.
“There is going to be a clean sweep in favor of a tried and tested regional party that understands the aspirations of the people,” Harsimrat said.
Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also expressed confidence of his victory in Patiala. Asked how big a challenge these elections were, Amarinder said, “Not much. We will win.”
Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur, who is a Congress MP, said, “I have always supported Captain Sahab (Amarinder). This is my family and my family is above all.”
A total of 2,14,99,804 people including 1,02,00,996 women are eligible to vote.
There are 24,740 polling stations, of which 2,013 have been identified as serious, while 2,952 are vulnerable.
Punjab is witnessing a multi-cornered contest between the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP, BJP-PLC-SAD (United) and the Samyukta Samaj Morcha (SSM), the political front of various farmers’ organisations.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is contesting the elections in alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
BJP is contesting the elections with an alliance led by Amarinder Singh Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (United).
SSM Haryana is contesting the elections with the Samyukta Sangharsh Party led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni.
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