Repolling ordered at three polling booths in Punjab's Patiala

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab State Election Commission on Monday ordered repolling at three booths of the Municipal Councils of Patran and Samana in Patiala.

The repolling will be held on February 16 from 8 am to 4 pm, and counting will take place on February 17.

An official spokesperson of the State Election Commission said reports were received from the Returning Officer (RO) of Patran that some miscreants damaged the electronic voting machine (EVM) at polling booth number 11 of ward number 8.

Reports were received from the RO of Samana about damaging of EVMs by miscreants at polling booth number 22 and 23 of ward number 11.

Taking serious note of these incidents, the commission announced that the polling conducted at these booths would be nullified and repoll held under section 59(2)(A) of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994, the official said.

Over 70 per cent voting was recorded in the elections to over 100 civic bodies in Punjab on Sunday amid stray incidents of skirmishes at some places.

The Opposition parties have accused the ruling Congress of "capturing booths" and "indulging in violence".