Chandigarh: Voting for the 117 Punjab urban local bodies, including eight high-stake municipal corporations, began on Sunday, Election Commission officials here said.
Polling began at 8 a.m. and will continue till 4 p.m.
The main contest is among the ruling Congress, the main opposition Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal.
The BJP, which is facing anger over the contentious Central farm laws, is also in the fray. It is contesting the polls for the first time in two decades without the Akalis, the oldest NDA ally that has parted ways from it over farm laws.
Local issues of towns and cities and the respective wards dominated the campaigning.
Firing in Patti, force deployed
A clash broke out between the workers of Congress and AAP in Patti, Taran Taran during which a person was shot.
A large number of police force has been deployed
Argument between AAP and Congress in Mohali ward
An argument broke out between the workers of AAP and Congress after a worker from AAP was taking a video outside polling booth number 10. The worker was however, stopped by the police after which AAP alleged that police is being it on the behest of Congress.
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The voting is being held for eight municipal corporations and 109 municipal councils and municipal panchayats.
The results will be declared on February 17.
A total of 20,49,777 men and 18,65,354 women will cast votes at 4,102 polling stations, including 1,708 sensitive and 861 hypersensitive.
A total of 9,222 candidates are in the fray for 2,302 wards.
Political observers say these polls just a year ahead of the assembly elections is a 'semi-final' for the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government that is eyeing to repeat its government against the backdrop of the farm laws that has generated a wave of anger against the BJP.
With IANS INPUTS
