Assault on MLA, worker stabbed on polling day

Chandigarh: Incidents of poll-related violence from Panipat rural, Mehem, Nuh, Punhana, and Narnaund were reported during the 15th Haryana assembly elections on Saturday.
The violent incidents included stabbing in Panipat and assault on incumbent MLA Balraj Kundu allegedly by the supporters of Barlam Dangi – son of former MLA Anand Singh Dangi – at Madina village of the Mehem assembly constituency.
According to information, Kundu and his secretary Vijay were allegedly assaulted by a group of men when they had gone to a polling booth in Madina village of Mehem. Kundu claimed that former MLA Anand Singh Dangi too was present at the booth when the incident took place.
The crowd allegedly took Congress candidate Balwan Singh Daulatpuria and his nephew hostage near a polling station in Mehmadpur Rohi village of Fatehabad district. The police rescued the duo, who alleged that there was rampant booth rigging by the supporters of rival political parties.
A BJP supporter, Sonu, sustained stabbing injuries during a clash between BJP and Congress supporters near a polling booth in Nohra village of the Israna (Reserve) constituency in Panipat district. Sonu was rushed to civil hospital and referred to a private hospital for tertiary care. Police are investigating the case.
Clashes between the supporters of the BJP and the Congress were also reported from Khanda Kheri and Data villages in the Narnaund assembly constituency, where former minister Captain Abhimanyu representing the BJP and Jassi Petwar of the Congress are locked in a direct fight. In one of the incidents, a man was reportedly assaulted for not voting for a particular candidate. He was medically examined and further investigations are in progress, police said.
In the Punhana assembly constituency, incidents of violent clashes and stone pelting between two groups were reported from Khwajali Kalan and Gulalta village.
Haryana chief secretary T V S N Prasad and Haryana's chief electoral officer (CEO) Pankaj Aggarwal expressed satisfaction with the law and order situation on Saturday."We had a total of 20,632 polling stations hence, the quantum poll-related clashes or violence is almost negligible," said the CEO.
There were few incidents related to technical snags in EVMs, which too were not significant, Aggarwal added. ADGP (law and order) Sanjay Kumar said the polling was largely peaceful. Asked about violence, the officer said district SPs were monitoring the situation.