Chandigarh/Panaji: Voting for Goa and Punjab legislative Assembly elections ended on Saturday with the former recording a high voter turnout. Polling in Punjab, which witnessed a total turnout of 70 per cent, was marred with glitches and skirmishes at some places.
In the two states, arch-rivals BJP and Congress battle it out in the electoral arena, with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, debuting in Assembly elections seeking to play a spoilsport for the two major contenders to power.
BJP is in government in Punjab in alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for two successive terms, while it also helms Goa, despite ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party having drifted away just after the announcement of elections to form a three-party combine.
The elections to Punjab and Goa, which will be followed by those in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur, beginning later this month and spilling over to March, are being billed as a major test of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity post-demonetisation.
Punjab
Punjab on Saturday recorded an estimated 70 per cent polling during which technical glitches and stray incidents of violence were reported in the state that is seeing a high-stake contest among Congress, new entrant AAP and ruling SAD-BJP combine.
"Nearly 70 per cent polling has taken place," an election office spokesman said here giving the preliminary figures of poll percentage.
"Barring stray incidents of violence the polling in single-phase remained peaceful," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP- elections) V K Bhawra said.
Two persons were injured in a clash which took place between AAP and Congress workers at Sultanpur village in Sangrur district, police said.
In Tarn Taran district, a Congress worker identified as Jagjit Singh was injured when an Akali supporter allegedly opened fire at him outside a polling booth in Lalu Ghuman village, they said.
A large number of voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines, installed for the first time in the ongoing Punjab Assembly polls, developed snags during the polling process in the state.
A technical snag was reported in VVPAT machines in Majitha and Sangrur, an election office spokesman said, adding that the matter had been referred to the ECI.
Due to a snag in the machines, polling had to be called off a number of times, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V K Singh said, adding that these machines were replaced by others.
Over 79 per cent electors had cast their votes in the 2012 assembly polls. The final figure of today's voting is still awaited as all those who were inside the polling booths will be allowed to vote, an election official spokesman said in Chandigarh.
Shortly before the polling was to end, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal "thanked Punjabis for peaceful polling and reposing faith in SAD-BJP alliance."
A statement issued by Badal's spokesman quoted him as saying, "Moved by people's love despite negative agenda."
However, this time around 70 per cent out of the total 1.98 crore electors exercised their franchise to seal the fate of 1,145 candidates including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Punjab Congress President and the party's chief ministerial candidate, Capt Amarinder Singh.
The total number of electors in the state is 1,98,79,069, including 93,75,546 females. There are 415 transgender voters. The total number of candidates in the fray include 81 women and a transgender.
Punjab is witnessing a three-cornered contest between ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, opposition Congress and new entrant Aam Aadmi Party.
Other political outfits in the fray include BSP, former AAP leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur-led Apna Punjab Party, the Left comprising CPI and CPI-M, and SAD-Amritsar.
Voting for Amritsar Lok Sabha seat by-poll was also being held amid tight security arrangements. For the first time webcasting from over 4,000 polling booths was done, which was monitored from Chandigarh control room.
The election commission had installed VVPAT machines in 33 of the 117 constituencies for the assembly polls and two assembly segments as part of the Amritsar by-polls.
Among those who cast their vote early included Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, CM's daughter-in-law and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Congress veteran Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
Capt Amarinder Singh and his wife Preneet Kaur cast their votes in the afternoon.
"Seeking my mother's blessings before casting my vote. Let this be a new dawn for Punjab!, Amarinder tweeted shortly before exercising his franchise.
Former Army chief General J J Singh (retd) of SAD, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pargat Singh, contesting as Congress candidates, Sucha Singh Chhotepur of Apna Punjab Party (APP), and Bhagwant Mann, Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi and Sukhpal Singh Khaira of AAP, also cast their votes early on.
Besides development issues, other issues which remained at the centre stage in the run up to the polls were unemployment, drugs and mafia and incidents of sacrilege.
The polling started around 45 minutes late at two polling booths in Jalandhar, Mohali and Amritsar due to technical glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Polling was brisk in Malwa region of the state comprising 69 Assembly seats as an estimated 75 per cent electors exercised their franchise.
Punjab Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was unable to cast his vote in the morning due to technical snag in EVM at polling station number 35, Ward number 5 in Majitha constituency in Amritsar district. He cast his vote later.
The polling for 117 Punjab Assembly seats took place amid tight security.
Over 200 companies of paramilitary forces were deputed for the fair conduct of polls.
Braving overcast conditions and winter chill, thousands of voters turned out since early morning to cast their votes.
Long queues were seen at most polling stations as voting began in all the assembly constituencies at 8 AM.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded candidates in 94 seats, while its ally BJP has nominated candidates in the remaining 23 seats. Congress is contesting alone on all seats.
AAP, which is contesting the state polls for the first time, has fielded candidates in 112 seats, while its ally Lok Insaf Party, led by Ludhiana-based Bains brothers, has fielded nominees in five seats.
Key contestants who are in the fray include Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh (Patiala and Lambi seats), Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (Lambi) and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal (Jalalabad).
The other prominent candidates are Congress veteran and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Lehragagga), Indian Youth Congress chief Raja Amarinder Singh Warring (Gidderbaha), Badal's estranged nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, who is fighting on a Congress ticket from Bathinda Urban, and AAP MP Bhagwant Mann (Jalalabad). For the Amritsar Lok Sabha by-poll, an estimated 57 per cent polling took place, an election office spokesman said here.
Amritsar Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the resignation of Amarinder Singh to protest against the apex court verdict on Punjab's river waters. The voter strength in Amritsar Lok Sabha is over 14 lakh.
Prominent among the candidates in fray for the Lok Sabha seat are BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, who is up against Congress' Gurjit Singh Aujla and Aam Aadmi Party's Upkar Singh Sandhu.
The counting of votes for the state polls and Amritsar Lok Sabha by-poll will take place on March 11.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at Lambi, the 89-year-old chief minister said, "I have 70 years of experience and have fought for Punjab and India, this is a small battle."
Sukhbir Badal claimed that "We will have a bigger win than last time."
"AAP will finish at third number spot," he said in reply to a question.
"People will vote for development, peace and communal harmony. AAP is a pack of criminals," he said.
Amarinder Singh said that his party was leading in the entire state and was set to form the government.
He claimed that he would also win from Lambi, defeating the chief minister.
Cricketer Harbhajan Singh and his mother Avtar Kaur also exercised their franchise.
"This time, three parties in the fray are fighting it out, I wish that whosoever wins should keep Punjab's interests above all," he told reporters.
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who along with his wife Navjot Kaur cast his vote in Amritsar, said "People of Punjab will give a gift to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi by ensuring party's victory here and its revival in the country."
"Truth will prevail in Punjab... from this place Congress flag will start floating," he said.
Goa
Panaji: A high voter turnout of over 83 percent was on Saturday recorded in the Assembly polls in Goa, where the ruling BJP is engaged in a fierce fight with the Opposition Congress, AAP and an alliance of MGP, Shiv Sena and GSM for the 40-member House.
According to EC sources, the poll percentage could go up as there are long queues of voters at many booths across the state even after 5 PM.
Heavy polling was witnessed in the mining belt of Sankhalim, Bicholim and Curchorem.
The election passed off peacefully with no untoward incident reported from anywhere in the coastal state expect some cases of EVM glitches and cancellation of voting in one booth.
A 78-year-old man died outside a polling booth in Panaji city. Leslie Saldanha, who was waiting to cast his vote, collapsed and died, officials said.
ECI's data from various polling booth showed that over 83 per cent of 11.10 lakh voters turned up to exercise franchise.
An impressive 83 per cent voting was recorded in the state in 2012 assembly polls, which saw the BJP wresting power from the Congress.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, widely seen as the chief ministerial face of the BJP, Union Minister Shripad Naik and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar were among the early voters who cast their ballots.
People in large numbers turned up at the polling stations right from the morning amid pleasant weather.
A total of 250 contestants are in the fray, which include many independents.
The election is being closely fought by major political forces – BJP, Congress, AAP and the MGP-led alliance.
The polls will decide future of Goa's five former Chief Ministers – Churchill Alemao, Pratapsinh Rane, Ravi Naik, Digambar Kamat and Luizinho Faleiro and the incumbent Parsekar.
BJP has put up 36 aspirants, Congress 37 and AAP is contesting on 39 seats and each of them backing independents in a few seats.
BJP, which had a pre-poll alliance in 2012, is going it alone this time after the MGP snapped the partnership and forged a front with Goa Suraksha Manch floated by RSS rebel Subhas Velingkar and Shiv Sena.
Counting of votes will be taken up on March 11.
