At 62.49% Malwa leads in polling in among 3 regions

BATHINDA/FARIDKOT/PATIALA

Following the pattern of the 2019 parliamentary elections, the high-stakes Bathinda Lok Sabha seat again witnessed the highest voter turnout in the state.

According to the election commission data, the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, comprising nine assembly segments from Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar districts, registered 67.97% polling.

However, the turnout was the lowest since 2014 and a slide is attributed to the intense heatwave.

In the 2014 elections, Bathinda’s turnout was 77.16% whereas it was 74.16% in 2019, that was also the highest turnout in the state.

Similarly, a turnout of 65.95% was registered in the Ferozepur, one of three parliamentary seats in the southwest region of Punjab other than Faridkot that saw a turnout of 60.78%.

Three Lok Sabha seats of the south Malwa- Bathinda, Farikot and Ferozepur, performed better than the state average voter turnout of 61.32% till 11.15PM.

After the polling began at 7 am, Bathinda seat kept leading in the polling rate chart for the entire day.

At around 3pm, Bathinda and adjoining areas witnessed a dust storm that brought much-needed relief from the intense heat wave.

But a drop in the day’s temperature did not improve the turnout as it stuck at around 60%.

Several candidates and key political leaders like Harsimrat Kaur Badal, her husband and SAD president Sukhbir Badal, senior BJP leader Manpreet Badal and AAP candidate from Bathinda seat Gurmeet Singh Khudian polled votes by 10.30 in the Lambi area of Muktsar.

State BJP president Sunil Jakhar was accompanied by his nephew and rebel Congress MLA from Abohar Sandeep Jakhar to exercise franchise at their native Panjkosi village in Fazilka district.

Woman poll official falls unconscious

A woman booth-level official, Rupinder Kaur, fell unconscious after some voters entered into heated arguments with her in Faridkot. She was rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital. SDM Varun Kumar said her condition is stable.

After casting their votes at Mohali and Jalandhar, respectively AAP candidate from Faridkot Karamjit Anmol and BJP nominee candidate Hasn Raj Hans, returned to Faridkot and inspected polling booths. While SAD candidates Rajwinder Singh and Congress candidate Amarjit Sahoke remained in their home district Moga.

The Faridkot parliamentary constituency recorded a turnout of 60.78%, a drop from 63.23% turnout in 2019.

Out of the nine assembly segments, the highest voter turnout of with 67% was recorded at Gidderbaha and the Moga recorded the lowest with 51%.

Polling remained peaceful in Patiala, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituencies.

After brisk voting in the morning, it slowed down in the afternoon. A majority of candidates were early birds.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur cast their vote at Mangowal in Sangrur district.

The CM had to wait for a while before he cast his vote owing to the malfunctioning of the VVPAT machine at the polling booth. Returning officer Jitendra Jorwal said the VVPAT machine was immediately replaced.

Khaira alleges poll code violation

Sangrur Congress candidate Sukhpal Singh Khaira complained that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was distributing voter slips to voters — in various assembly segments of Sangrur constituency — having pics of AAP Sangrur candidate Gurmeet Singh Hayer, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Sangrur returning officer Jitendra Jorwal said he has sought a report from the assistant returning officer on the matter.

BJP candidate Preneet Kaur cast her vote along with her family in Patiala. However, former chief minister Amarinder Singh did not cast his vote as he was indisposed.