Ludhiana Municipal Corporation polls LIVE updates: Voters queue up to cast their votes in on Saturday (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
Polling for the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections, which witnessed clashes between contesting party workers while campaigning, began Saturday morning. Voter turnout at 10 am was recorded at 11 per cent, as the city witnessed heavy rainfall.
A total of 494 candidates are in fray and there are 10.50 lakh voters. Of the 95 wards going to polls, 56 have been reserved and 39 are in the general category. 40 are reserved for women, seven for SCs, another seven for SC women and two for Other Backward Class (OBC). The results will be declared on February 27.
Meanwhile, there were reports of fresh clashes on the eve of polling. Keeping this in mind, Election Commission officials declared 284 out of 1,153 polling station as sensitive, and heightened security in these areas. Read More
Ludhiana is witnessing a triangular contest for the first time with Lok Insaaf Party-AAP alliance, SAD-BJP alliance and Congress in competition. MLA Simarjit Bains’ Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) will contest for first time as an Independent front in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In ward number 62, LIP candidate Gurpreet Khurana alleged that she was attacked by Congress workers. "They attacked me infront of the police. The son of a local MLA was leading the group who attacked me," she said
Tension was reported in ward number 66 as BJP district president Ravinder Arora and candidate Bhupinder Singh Honey Gurmail allege attack on their polling agent by supporters of Congress candidate Narinder Kala, who is the brother of MLA Bharat Bhushan Anshu.
The voter turnout for polling in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections was recorded at 43.06 per cent at 2 pm. Sixty-five per cent turnout was recorded in Jagraon (ward 17) and 73.50 per cent in Payal (ward 5).
There were allegations of Congress MLA Surinder Dawar trying to influence voters at a booth in ward 56, by opposition candidates.
In another report of tension during the ongoing polling, SAD candidate from ward 13 Mandeep Kaur Sandhu alleged her driver was thrashed by Congress workers.
In Payal, the voters claimed that Congress MLA Lakhwinder Lakha's PA Ranjit Singh was getting bogus votes at the polling booth in government senior secondary school.
AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira also alleged that the Congress was resorting to hooliganism and bogus voting. "AAP MLAs will stay put in Ludhiana as Congress is resorting to hooliganism and bogus voting. We will also ensure EVMs are safe. Congress is trying to hijack polls," he said.
Both LIP and SAD candidates alleged that the Congress was resorting to bogus voting.
The candidates contesting from ward 44 are Harkaran Vaid of Congress and Jai Kishan Mittal, son of former MLA Prem Mittal, of LIP.
Tension continues in ward 44 (Dugri area) as SAD candidate Meetpal Singh Dugri alleged that the police did not allow their videographers despite permission from deputy commissioner of police.
Meanwhile in Odisha, around 35 per cent of the voter turnout was recorded for the bye-election to Bijepur Assembly seat till noon today. Counting of votes would be undertaken on February 28. The by-poll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August last year.
SAD candidate Meet Pal Dugri and LIP former MLA Prem Mittal had heated arguments with police at ward number 44 as polling continues.
Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) chief Simarjit Bains alleged bogus voting in ward numbers 44, 39, 50 and 51.
In ward number 39, Gurmeet Singh, brother in law of LIP candidate Manjit Kaur Ghataure was allegedly attacked by supporters of Congress candidate Jaspreet Kaur Thukral.
The voter turnout for polling in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections was recorded at 26.04 per cent at 12 pm. 44 per cent turnout was recorded in Jagraon (ward 17) and 51.80 per cent in Payal (ward 5).
The migrant population has a sizeable number of votes in Ludhiana. Congress, AAP and LIP have given one ticket each to migrant candidates. However, the SAD-BJP alliance that had migrant councilors in the previous house, did not field any migrant candidate this time. Read More
A total of 494 candidates are in fray and there are 10.50 lakh voters (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
The Congress swept Municipal Corporation polls in other cities, but in Ludhiana, the alliance of Lok Insaaf Party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has given rise to a third front. The Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) of MLA Simarjit Bains, who parted ways with SAD, is contesting on 56 wards and rest 39 are with AAP. However, in a major blow even before polls, seven AAP candidates have backed out at last minute. Also, in another ward, there is no LIP-AAP candidate. So the alliance is already eight seats short of total 95. Read More
People cast their votes for the Municipal Corporation elections in Ludhiana on Saturday (Express photo by Gurmeet Singh)
In another incident, SAD MLA Ranjit Dhillon complained about a ‘fake’ polling agent from Congress in ward number 3, from which his wife Ninderjit Kaur is contesting.
There were reports of tension in ward 44 as SAD candidate Meetpal Dugri and LIP candidate Jai Kishan Mittal alleged that the police allowed Congress MLA Kuldeep Vaid to go inside polling booths and 'influence voters'. Vaid’s son Harkaran Vaid is the candidate from 44.
Welcome to Indian Express LIVE blog for the ongoing polling for Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections. Polling for the 95 wards of the municipal corporation is underway with the voter turnout being recorded at 11 per cent till 10 am.
With inputs from ENS