r With overall turnout of 70%, polling for two municipal corporations (MCs), ten municipal councils, three nagar panchayats and for ward number 37 of Amritsar corporation passed off peacefully in Majha. Stray incidents of violence was reported from Patti and Bhikhwind of Tarn Taran district and Batala of Gurdaspur district, where clashes took place between political parties.
The two MCs that went to polls were Pathankot and Batala; councils were Ramdas, Majitha, Jandiala Guru, Gurdaspur, Dhariwal, Sri Hargobindpur, Qadian, Fatehgarh Churian, Sujanpur and Patti. Three nagar panchayats of Ajnala, Rayya and Bhikhiwind also voted.
Police resort to cane-charge after
clashes in Patti, Bhikhiwind
In Patti and Bhikihiwind, AAP and SAD workers alleged that the Congress goons captured polling booths and assaulted them. In Patti, an AAP worker Manbir Singh received a bullet injury on his leg during one such clash. Some video clips of the clashes have gone viral on social media.
AAP’s Patti in-charge Ranjit Singh Cheema said, “In presence of heavy police deployment, goons of the Congress captured most booths in the city. Rampant bogus voting also took place. Police took our party member Laljit Singh Bhullar into custody, but no action was taken against Congress workers.”
Congress’ Patti MLA Harminder Singh Gill said, “Sensing defeat, AAP is making excuses to defame the Congress.” In Bhikhiwind’s ward number 4, SAD workers alleged that Congress workers captured booths, leading to a clash.
Former BJP district president and former chairman of the Batala Improvement Trust Suresh Bhatia was injured on his head in clash held with Congress workers in ward number 40. Sharma accused Congress of booth capturing. Batala DSP Parvinder Kaur dismissed these allegations.
Punjab BJP chief stages dharna in Pathanot
Pathankot remained peaceful. The BJP, however, alleged that its worker was thrashed by Congress members. BJP state president Ashwani Sharma staged a dharna on the issue.
“The Congress has indulged in hooliganism under Punjab Police patronage. The house of a BJP supporter was attacked in ward number 25 by a Congress’ goon and his aides with sharp-edged weapons, including swords. Police are facilitating such attacks. We will be on dharna until the culprits are arrested,” claimed Sharma. Cops were deployed in large numbers in ward number 37 of Amritsar City as agitating farmers gathered there to oppose the BJP.
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