1 killed, stones pelted at minister’s vehicle
CHANDIGARH: A person reported to be a Congress worker was killed in the border constituency of Khadoor Sahib on Sunday when the 13 Lok Sabha seats of Punjab went to polls. The incident took place in Hardo Sarli village. In Kangar village, in Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency, a group of people reportedly pelted stones at the car of former Punjab minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, who escaped unhurt.
SAD workers were reportedly attacked in Rampura Phul city of Bathinda, leaving one injured. In Gurdaspur, Congress and SAD workers reportedly clashed. A polling agent reportedly died of a heart attack in Shahpur Patti village, in Jalandhar.
According to the Voter Turnout app of the Election Commission of India, a turnout of 65.25% was recorded.
Reports of violence also emerged from Talwandi Sabo town that falls in Bathinda constituency where Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s wife Union minister Harsimrat Kaur contested for the third consecutive time. The SAD is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Gunshots were fired by unidentified person and three Akali workers were injured in Bathinda. Firozpur reported violent incidents where Sukhbir Singh Badal is the SAD candidate. In all 12 persons were injured in incidents across the state.
Two persons were detained in Ludhiana on Sunday for posting their photos on social media. Presiding officer at polling booth number 3 Sanjiv Kumar caught Manpreet Singh clicking pictures and recording a video while casting his vote. Another voter, Shamsher Alam, was detained for posting his picture on Facebook while casting his vote. While district president of the Youth Akali Dal Gurdeep Gosha shared a photo on Whatsapp, a Haibowal resident posted a Snapchat story.
Chief electoral officer Punjab S Karuna Raju said the death reported from Khadoor Sahib was not poll related. He said over all polling remained peaceful till 5 pm. “An FIR has been lodged in Talwandi Sabo firing though it took place 200 metres away from the polling station,” he added.
The tiff between Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, a star campaigner of the Congress, took a fresh turn when Singh said Sidhu’s remarks on being denied a ticket from Chandigarh, were ill-timed, calling it a case of indiscipline .
The chief minister was apparently referring to Sidhu’s “rebellious” remarks in Bathinda on May 17, when he appeared to corner the Congress government in the state over the issue of desecration of religious scriptures and questioned why no FIR was lodged against the Badals in connection with the 2015 sacrilege and police-firing incidents. Sidhu said that he would resign if action was not taken against those behind the 2015 desecration incidents.