Bathinda, Feb 14 (UNI) Amidst stray incidents of minor clashes between the rival political groups, a high voter turnout of 79.01 per cent turnout was recorded here in this district of Punjab on Sunday in the local body elections.

Braving cold and foggy weather, people lined up early in the morning to exercise their franchise at 341 polling stations for 213 wards in the district.

The fate of 769 candidates who are in fray will be decided on February 17.

Furnishing details here, District Electoral Officer B Srinivasan commended the nearly 1600 officers and staff of the civil administration and about 2500 officers and employees of the police administration for performing their duties diligently and honestly in the successful conduct of these local elections.

The details of voter turnout were: 64.36 per cent for Bathinda Municipal Corporation, while in 6 Municipal Councils, 76.83 per cent for Maur, 86.53 per cent for Rama Mandi, 86.26 per cent for Bhuchon Mandi, 83.83 percent for Goniana, 89.86 per cent for Sangat and 87.38 percent for Kotfatta. Similarly in 7 Nagar Panchayats under the district Kothaguru 75.11, Bhagta Bhaika 81.19, Maluka 81.3, Bhairupa 81.92, Mehraj 74.07, Nathana 78.54 and Kotshmir 88.34 per cent polling was recorded.

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal thanked the people of the district for the successful and peaceful conduct of elections. He expressed confidence that the electorate would give a clear majority to the Congress party in these polls.

UNI XC JAL 2108