Punjab Municipal Elections 2021 LIVE Updates: 37% Polling Till Noon; Clash Between Akalis, Congress Workers in Muktsar

A voter who enters the polling station before 4 pm will have the right to vote, an SEC spokesperson said. Around 7,000Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been deployed for voting. As many as 19,000 police personnel have been deputed to conduct free and fair elections, the spokesperson said. Talking to the media in Majitha, Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia accused the ruling Congress of misusing the government machinery to win urban local bodies polls.

He further charged the Congress-led government of not carrying out any development work during its regime. Voters including elderly citizens started coming to the polling booths in the morning at many places in Punjab to cast their votes.

Voters were also screened through thermal scanners at polling booths in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are 20,49,777 male,18,65,354 female and 149 transgender voters, totalling 39,15,280 registered voters in the state for the civic body elections, the spokesperson said. The counting of votes will take place on February 17.

Around 19,000 police personnel have been deputed to conduct free and fair elections, said the spokesperson. There are 20,49,777 male, 18,65,354 female and 149 transgender voters, totalling 39,15,280 registered voters in the state of Punjab for the civic elections. A total of 30 IAS or PCS officers have been deputed as observers to conduct free and fair elections, said the spokesperson. In these elections, 50 per cent of seats have been reserved for women.

All the main political parties had canvassed vigorously during the campaigning for the civic body elections in the state which will see assembly polls next year. Several Punjab ministers including Manpreet Singh Badal and Balbir Singh Sidhu had canvassed for the Congress nominees.

The SAD and the BJP are fighting these elections separately after the former walked out of the National Democratic Alliance over the farm laws issue last year. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and other party leaders campaigned for their party candidates.

The BJP leaders and candidates had faced farmers’ protest during campaigning with the saffron party accusing the Congress of unleashing hooliganism in the guise of farmers. Several senior AAP leaders including Raghav Chadha had held roadshows in several parts of the state and had sought votes for the nominees of the main opposition party in Punjab.

The Opposition had accused the Congress of misusing the government machinery to win these polls, a charge denied by the ruling party.