AAP BLOCKS HIGHWAY OVER ‘ANOMALIES’ IN COUNTING OF VOTES

LUDHIANA: Alleging discrepancies in the counting of votes, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders led by MLA and deputy leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Saravjit Kaur Manuke staged a protest and blocked Jagraon-Moga National Highway (NH) for over two hours near Jagraon on Wednesday.

Manuke alleged that there was a difference in the number of votes polled and the vote count announced by returning officer (RO)-cum-SDM, Jagraon, Narinder Dhaliwal. Accusing the officials of benefitting the congress party, she said the party’s agents were not shown the EVMs and the results were announced by the SDM himself. She demanded recounting of votes in Jagraon municipal council.

AAP lost in all the 23 wards of Jagraon municipal council. Traffic jams were witnessed on the route despite diversion by the police. Later in the evening, the AAP leaders shifted the protest from the highway to the counting centre LR-DAV college in Jagraon.

SDM Dhaliwal refuted the allegations stating that the counting was done in a transparent way. “Not even a single candidate or their polling agent raised any objection during counting of votes and everything was done in a fair manner,” said Dhaliwal.

AAP and SAD workers held a protest in Raikot where they blocked the main road outside the counting centre for around two hours. The protesting candidates rued that there were discrepancies in the counting process and EVMs were displaying February 16 as the date of opening the machine.

Protests in Lehra, Sunam SANGRUR: Scores of people held a protest in Lehragaga and stopped a truck loaded with EVM machines alleging that the election teams first announced two candidates as winners but later changed results.

Besides, in Sunam, Shiromani Akali Dal workers held a protest at ITI chowk alleging manipulation in counting. Surinder Singh Jaggi, a candidate from ward number 8 of Lehra, said that he was declared winner and he started celebrations but when he was not given a certificate.

“I got 264 votes and asked to get a certificate at 3PM but they changed the result in the evening. However, the Congress candidate was declared winner later,” added Jaggi.