Skirmishes, ‘firing’ in Sultanpur Lodhi

JALANDHAR/HOSHIARPUR : Seventy one per cent voters cast ballot on Sunday in 23 urban local bodies of the Doaba region comprising Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and SBS Nagar districts.

One incident each of poll violence took place in Sultanpur Lodhi town of Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. In Sultanpur Lodhi, 15 persons were booked in two cases of violence after the Congress and SAD workers clashed and hurled stones at each other near the block and panchayat development office.

The Akali workers alleged that Congress activists even fired bullets in the air. “The ruling party workers tried to disrupt the election process right under the administration’s nose,” SAD leader Sajjan Singh Cheema said.

Kapurthala SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said they are identifying those involved in the incident.

In Hoshiarpur’s Garhdiwala, BJP district (rural) president

Sanjiv Minhas’ car was attacked by some people said to be farmers’ sympathisers.

The BJP leader alleged that the attack was carried out by Congress goons.

The Kapurthala MC witnessed 62.16% polling with 42,201 votes while in Sultanpur Lodhi, 75.89% voters cast ballot. The district polled 69.16 votes. In Hoshiarpur district, the polling went off largely peacefully with over 72.15% votes polled in 10 municipalities.

In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, 69.71% votes were polled in SBS Nagar, Rahon and Banga civic bodies. In ward no 12 of SBS Nagar, former MC president Lalit Pathak Ballu came in direct confrontation with local Congress MLA Angad Singh Saini. SBS Nagar SSP Alka Meena said they had stationed adequate personnel in the hypersensitive or sensitive wards.

In Jalandhar district, 71.92% voter turnout was witnessed in 8 urban local bodies. As many as 74.74% women exercised their franchise against 71.92% votes polled by men