Chandigarh: Voting for the municipal elections in Punjab turned tense on Tuesday as polling for urban local bodies across the state was marred by multiple clashes, allegations of malpractice, and sporadic violence, even as lakhs of voters participated in the democratic exercise.
The elections, widely seen as a political preview to the 2027 Assembly battle, feature 7,555 candidates contesting across municipal corporations, councils, and nagar panchayats. Polling began at 8 am and is scheduled to continue till 5 pm.
The Punjab State Election Commission deployed massive security arrangements, including nearly 32,000 police personnel and 35,000 election staff, to ensure peaceful voting across eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils, and 20 nagar panchayats.
Despite the extensive arrangements, incidents of violence and unrest were reported from several districts.
In Samana, police were forced to resort to a lathi charge after a group of political workers allegedly created chaos near a polling station, disrupting the voting process temporarily.
In another major flashpoint at Gidderbaha, supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party and Shiromani Akali Dal engaged in a physical confrontation after tensions escalated over alleged disputes regarding polling arrangements near booths. The situation briefly disrupted voting before security personnel intervened.
Tension also flared in Khanna, where former Cabinet Minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli staged a protest outside a polling station in Ward No. 5, alleging large-scale deletion of voter names and irregularities in booth management. The protest followed complaints that a Congress candidate’s vote had been wrongly listed at another booth, sparking anger among party workers and residents.
Officials later intervened, with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate Swati Tiwana stating that the matter was resolved after voters were guided to their correct polling stations and additional staff were deployed to address grievances.
Meanwhile, in Barnala, a violent incident was reported in Ward No. 15, where the husband of a BJP candidate was allegedly assaulted during a confrontation linked to accusations of bogus voting. The victim sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital after reportedly being attacked during the altercation.
Across the state, polling continued under tight security, with authorities closely monitoring sensitive booths to prevent further escalation. Despite scattered incidents, officials said voting remained largely on track in most areas as the day progressed.
