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Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service
Mohali, May 19
Lagging behind the 2014 figures, Mohali district witnessed 63.7 per cent polling today. The district is part of the Anandpur Sahib constituency where Congress candidate Manish Tewari, SAD (Taksali) candidate Bir Devinder Singh, SAD-BJP’s Prem Singh Chandumajra and AAP candidate Narinder Singh Shergill are locked in a contest.
In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the poll percentage in the district was 70.17, while in 2009, it was 67 per cent.
As per local administrative and police authorities, the polling passed off peacefully except two incidents of clash and brawl at two polling stations — at Barri village in Sohana area and Phase 11 here.
Mohali Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said overall, polling remained peaceful in the entire district. “I made rounds of several polling stations in the district today to check arrangements and polling there. Except a couple of minor complaints, everything was found normal,” said Sapra, who, along with her staff, also keep vigil on polling stations through webcasting.
Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar said except a clash between supporters of the BJP-SAD and the Congress, polling passed off peacefully in the district.
Polling stations saw an average crowd in the early hours as nearly 11 per cent voting took place by 9 am. By 1 pm, the Mohali segment witnessed 30 per cent voting, whereas in the Kharar and Dera Bassi segments, the voter turnout was 38 and 42 per cent by then. The Dera Bassi segment is part of the Patiala constituency. The polling picked up at the fag end of the process.
During a random visit to polling booths in Phase 3B1, 7 and 6, and Sohana, Saneta and Chappar Chhiri villages, the Tribune team found the polling process smooth. Polling stations in the rural belt were crowded, whereas most urban polling stations had no rush.
A total of 749 polling booths, including 93 model and eight “‘sakhi”, were set up to facilitate 7,26,482 voters in the district. These booths were being managed by 2,996 polling staff members.
Around 2,900 security personnel, including those from the Mohali police and paramilitary forces, were deputed to keep a vigil on anti-social activities and law and order in the district.