A Congress candidate in Raikot was injured after he was reportedly attacked by a group of people with sharp-edged weapons during polling for municipal bodies in Punjab. Officials said voter turnout stood at 31.6 per cent till 12 noon on Tuesday.
Jagdev Singh Jagga, Congress candidate from Ward No. 4 in Raikot, was taken to a private hospital in Ludhiana for treatment.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring strongly criticized the attack and blamed the AAP government for the state’s deteriorating law and order situation. He said the attack shows a breakdown of law and order under the Bhagwant Mann government, adding that criminals and political goons are moving freely while the government focuses on publicity. He warned that if candidates are unsafe, ordinary citizens are also at risk.
Voting through ballot papers started at 8 am and will continue till 5 pm. Vote counting is scheduled for May 29. Polls are being conducted across 1,896 wards in eight municipal corporations, including Mohali, Bathinda, Abohar, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Batala and Pathankot, along with 75 municipal councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats.
A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting. The ruling AAP has fielded 1,801 candidates, followed by Congress with 1,550, BJP with 1,316, Shiromani Akali Dal with 1,251, and BSP with 96 candidates.
In addition, 1,528 independent candidates are also in the fray.
Voters, especially elderly people and women, were seen lining up early in the morning at polling stations to avoid the afternoon heat. Among early voters, Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma cast his vote at a polling booth in Pathankot. He urged people to vote in large numbers to build a “developed Pathankot” and strengthen democracy.
AAP MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi also cast his vote in Batala. Punjab Congress chief Warring, and his wife Amrita Warring, arrived at a polling station in Muktsar on a bullock cart. He said the gesture was meant to highlight rising fuel prices and send a message to the Central government.
Punjab ministers Aman Arora and Harjot Singh Bains also appealed to voters to participate in the election. Aman Arora and his wife cast their votes at a polling booth in Sunam.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that polling stations lacked wheelchairs for differently abled voters, causing difficulties for those unable to walk.
As many as 1,613 candidates are contesting in 396 wards of eight municipal corporations. In 75 municipal councils, 5,142 candidates are contesting in 1,282 wards, while 800 candidates are in the fray in 218 wards of 20 Nagar Panchayats.
There are 35,45,567 registered voters for these local bodies, including 17,11,635 women and 220 others. A total of 740 polling booths have been declared sensitive and 275 as highly sensitive.
Around 35,000 polling staff and 32,000 police personnel have been deployed for election duty.
Officials said all arrangements have been made to ensure smooth and peaceful voting, with adequate security at polling stations and sensitive areas.
The Punjab government has declared a public holiday on May 26 to enable voting. The holiday also applies to all government offices, boards, corporations, and educational institutions in Chandigarh.
These local body elections are seen as important for all major parties, AP, BJP, Congress, and SAD, as they come ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Also read: Punjab civic polls: 35 lakh voters, 7,555 candidates
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