Polling amidst boycotts

DERA BASSI, June 21: Even though panchayat elections for Rajapur and Nagra were cancelled over wrong allotment of symbol, the Dera Bassi rec...

DERA BASSI, June 21: Even though panchayat elections for Rajapur and Nagra were cancelled over wrong allotment of symbol, the Dera Bassi recorded over 70 per cent polling today. Moderate to heavy polling was recorded in Bhankarpur.

However, a section of Kheri village boycotted the election and staged dharna in protest against the Election Commission for its failure to delete alleged bogus votes.Barring few minor scuffles, the election process by and large was peaceful.Although the counting began at 4 p.m. at panchayat level today, the result would be announced officially tomorrow, the officials said.

PATIALA:
Ram Singh not his real name was totally upset when he failed to locate the official election symbol of the candidate of his choice on the ballot paper provided to him by the election staff in the village of Sular. It was found that the ballot papers carried a lot of mistakes so returning officer, who took up the matter with the district electoral officer, ordered the polling adjourned to June 24.The election has been adjourned in many villages of various blocks of Patiala and the neighbouring district of Fatehgarh Sahib.MOGA:
Panchayat polling in Moga district was peaceful, and at the time of despatch more than 75 per cent voters cast their votes. In some villages like Daudhar poll percentage was more than 85. Both DC and SSP claimed complete peaceful polling except some stray incidents.

KHANNA:
Over 75 per cent votes were polled in panchayat elections in five blocks of Khanna police district viz Khanna, Doraha, Macchiwara, Dehlon and Samrala. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere, according to SSP Hardev Singh Hundal.

LUDHIANA:
About 76 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in the elections to 738 village panchayats in this district.

AMRITSAR:
The panchayat elections were postponed at two villages of Amritsar district due to alleged tension between various rival groups while elections were abruptly withheld due to glaring discrepancies in the ballot paper printing in at least nine villages.However, the election marked heavy turnout in the district.

JALANDHAR:
Elections to at least nine panchayats in Jalandhar district, four panchayats in Kapurthala district and 15 panchayats including those of sarpanches in four villages were postponed due to general complaints of discrepancies in ballot papers.

Story continues below this ad

KAPURTHALA:
According to preliminary reports available, more than 80 per cent voters cast their votes in Kapurthala district

GURDASPUR:
District administration Gurdaspur has postponed election to 11 panchayat following mistakes in ballots papers.

ROOPNAGAR:
The Panchayat elections were adjourned at five villages in the district following large scale discrepancies in ballot papers, even as the elections remained peaceful elsewhere with 74.5 per cent polling.According to the district election officer-cum-additional deputy commissioner Development Jagwant Singh Brar, the elections were postponed at Sarthali, Jhandian Kalan, Jhakhian, Parol and Nawan Shehar villages.