Bogus voters alleged in panchayat elections

CHANDIGARH, June 10: General secretary of Punjab Youth Congress Jugpal Singh Abulkhurana has alleged that many voters in Muktsar district fi...

CHANDIGARH, June 10: General secretary of Punjab Youth Congress Jugpal Singh Abulkhurana has alleged that many voters in Muktsar district figure in electoral rolls of two villages and could influence the outcome of current panchayat polls there.

In a representation submitted to State Election Commission alongwith copies of controversial rolls, he has named about two dozen such voters. According to the complaint, at least 14 voters figure in electoral rolls of both Fatehpur Mania and Arni Wala Wazira villages in Lambi block of Malout sub-division of the district. Nine more voters in Arni Wazira village were bogus, he alleged.

Alleging that relatives of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were behind these irregularities, he has expressed the apprehension that if these bogus voters were allowed to cast their votes, it would amount to the murder of democracy.

PATIALA: Formalities for elections to 60 panchayats in this district were completed today as the scrutiny of nominations papers came to an end. Harkesh Singh Sidhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner Development said that rehearsals for elections duty staff would be held on June 12 and 17, and on June 20, the staff would be given the election material.

Sidhu said that all arrangements for panchayat elections in this district had been completed. Withdrawals of nomination papers and allotment of symbols would be over by tomorrow. There would be 1,241 polling booths in the 9 blocks of the district. 25 per cent of the polling staff would be on reserve duty.

Sidhu said that polling would be held on June 21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and results would be declared by the presiding officers in their respective villages on the same day in their capacity as Ex-officio Assistant Returning Officers.

LUDHIANA:
15,581 persons had jumped into the fray for elections to 864 panchayats in the district as the deadline for filing of nomination papers came to an end yesterday. The highest number of papers were filed from block Ludhiana, where 2,656 candidates had joined the electoral battle for 161 panchayats.

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Giving this information, District Returning Officer for Panchayat Elections and ADC Development Sarbjit Singh, told that the least number of nomination papers- 1,064, were filed for 56 panchayats of Doraha block.

There were 1,589 candidates for 110 panchayats in Machhiwara Block, 1,582 for 88 panchayats in Sidhwan Bet, 1,474 for 84 panchayats in Khanna, 1,342 for 70 panchayats in Dehlon, 1,278 for 63 panchayats in Pakhowal, 1,195 for 52 panchayats in Sudhar, 1,181 for 62 panchayats in Ludhiana-I, 1,129 for 57 panchayats in Jagraon and 1,091 candidates for 61 panchayats in Samrala block in the district.