The district witnessed voting turnout of 60 per cent. There were also reports of minor skirmishes between SAD and Congress supporters. Akali candidate Buta Singh and Congress candidate Sardool Singh,contesting from Rahimabad Zone Block,Samiti,and their supporters clashed with each other at Athwal polling booth near Dera Baba Nanak in Batala. A poll official said the clash occurred outside the booth. When it started we locked the polling booth from inside, the official added. Senior Superintendent of Police (Batala) Tulsi Ram said the clash occurred after one of the candidates allegedly took an additional ballot paper. But,the poll official who reached the spot to verify the allegations found nothing wrong and the issue was later sorted out, he added. Of 21 zila parishads and 176 block samitis in the district,SAD candidates have already been elected unopposed in 9 and 69 seats,respectively. Man held for fighting with cop In another incident,a physically-challenged man was beaten and taken into custody by police after he allegedly fought with a policeman and tore his uniform. The man had cast his vote,but was not going out of the polling station. A policeman told him to go,but the man was in an inebriated state and picked up a fight with him and pushed him, said Tulsi Ram.
