In turnout stakes, Talwandi bests Patiala

Chief electoral officer V K Singh said he received several SMSes and emails giving information on booth capturing but when teams were sent to these places, polling was found to be going on peacefully. “In any case, we will be again going through the complaints tomorrow and take necessary action where any such incident has happened,” said Singh. Polling in Patiala remained incident-free, said SSP Hardayal Singh Mann.

The turnout in Patiala at 60 per cent (figures at 8 pm) was less than the turnout in the recent Lok Sabha polls (65.71 per cent) and Vidhan Sabha polls in 2012 (68.14 per cent).

Polling in Talwandi Sabo has been more than the Lok Sabha polls when 74.43 per votes were cast and also more than the 2012 Assembly elections when 80.86 per cent polling was recorded.

The Patiala seat was vacated after former chief minister and Patiala MLA Captain Amarinder Singh won the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar defeating Arun Jaitley. His wife Preneet Kaur, three-time Patiala MP, is the Congress candidate here. She and Amarinder cast their vote in Patiala this morning. SAD nominee Bhagwan Dass Juneja was among the first to cast his vote this morning.

The Talwandi Sabo seat was vacated after Congress MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu left the party and joined SAD in March this year. He is now the SAD candidate for the bypolls. He is facing Harminder Jassi of the Congress and Baljinder Kaur of AAP. Singer Balkar Sidhu, who was first announced as the AAP candidate, is contesting as an independent candidate. Counting will take place on August 25.