Chandigarh: With the announcement of the schedule for Punjab's local body elections, the 'Model Code of Conduct' has come into force with immediate effect within the municipal areas of the municipalities where elections will be held. The Code of Conduct would be in force till the completion of the electoral process.
The Election Commission of Punjab on Saturday has announced the schedule for elections and bye-election of eight Municipal Corporations and 109 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats.
The voting for local body elections would take place on February 14 from 8 am to 4 pm, State Election Commissioner said. On February 17, the counting of votes will be held under the supervision of 145 Returning Officers (ROs) and 145 Assistant Returning Officers (AROs), which the government has already appointed.
Similarly, 30 IAS and PCS officers have been appointed as election observers, while six IPS officers have been appointed as the police observers to ensure that voting takes place in a fair and peaceful manner.
A total of 4102 polling booths have been set up by the State Election Commission. As many as 18,000 state government employees will be deputed on the election duty. These elections are being conducted through EVMs and about 7000 EVMs have been arranged. The voters, who will be in the booth by 4 pm on the day of the election, will be allowed to cast their votes.
A total of 3915280 voters are going to cast their votes in this election, out of which 2049777 are male voters, 1865354 female and 149 are transgender voters. There are about 2215 wards in these elections. After the completion of the nomination process, 2037 of Congress, 1569 of Shiromani Akali Dal, 1003 of BJP, 1606 of Aam Aadmi Party, 160 of BSP, two of CPI, two of Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar, two of NCP, and four candidates of the Sarva Sanjhi Party are contesting on their party’s election symbols and about 2832 candidates are contesting as an independent.
Out of a total of 4102 booths, 1708 booths have been declared sensitive and 861 hype sensitive booths. Amritsar has 84 booths, out of which 31 are sensitive and 53 are hypersensitive booths. Out of 153 booths in Barnala, 71 booths are sensitive and 24 hypersensitive. Similarly, out of 377 booths in Bathinda, 209 sensitive are sensitive and 77 booths are hypersensitive. Faridkot has 65 sensitive and 51 hypersensitive booths out of 148 booths. Fazilka's 377 booths include 39 sensitive and 62 hypersensitive booths.
Of the 136 booths in Fatehgarh Sahib, 51 are sensitive and 12 hypersensitive. Similarly, out of 242 booths in Gurdaspur, 35 are sensitive and 15 hypersensitive. Hoshiarpur has 123 sensitive booths out of 223 booths. Out of 96 booths in Kapurthala, 46 booths are sensitive. Similarly in Jalandhar, there are 133 booths 117 booths are sensitive and six booths are hypersensitive.
Out of 258 booths in Ludhiana, 69 are sensitive and 34 are hypersensitive booths. Moga has 119 booths out of which 50 sensitive and 69 hypersensitive booths. Similarly, Mansa has 21 sensitive and 11 hypersensitive booths. SriMuktsar Sahib has 45 sensitive and hypersensitive booths. Patiala has 88 sensitive and 86 hypersensitive booths. Pathankot has 23, Rupnagar 35 and SBS Nagar has 65 sensitive booths. SS Nagar Mohali has 216 sensitive and 44 hypersensitive booths. Sangrur has 146 sensitive and 68 hypersensitive booths. Tarn Taran has 11 sensitive and 42 hypersensitive booths.
In these elections, any candidate can get videography done outside the voting centre at their own expenses and the videography can be done according to the instructions of the Election Commission. At many such places where voting is to be held and votes are to be counted, the day has been declared as a dry day. On both days serving of liquor either in an individual capacity or otherwise will be totally banned. Liquor will also be banned in hotels, restaurants, clubs and other such places.
OPPOSITION PARTIES RAISE QUESTIONS
Many times different parties have handed over letters to the Election Commission, seeking the deployment of paramilitary forces in the state in order to ensure that elections are conducted in a fair and transparent manner. For this, the opposition parties also met the Governor of Punjab and made him aware of the existing law and order situation in the state. Not only this, there were many wards where the nomination papers of the candidates of all the parties other than the Congress were cancelled collectively. The letter given to the Governor by Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party has also sought reelection at the places where the nominations of their candidates have been allegedly cancelled incorrectly.
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