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Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, December 17
As many as 93 nominations were filed for sarpanches and 245 for panches on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said during the process for filing of nominations for the upcoming gram panchayat elections, nominations would continue till December 19. The nominations can be filed between 11 am to 3 pm daily.
Agrawal said one nomination was filed for Sarpanch in Dehlon block, 8 for sarpanch and 17 for panches in Doraha block, 13 for sarpanch and 41 for panches in Jagraon, 8 for sarpanch and 32 for panches in Khanna block, 8 for sarpanch and 32 for panches in Ludhiana I block, 7 for sarpanch and no nomination was filed for panches in Ludhiana-2 block. In Machhiwara, 5 papers were filed for sarpanch and 21 for panches, while 3 were filed for sarpanch and 11 for panches in Maloud block. In Pakhowal, 1 nomination was filed for sarpanch and 4 for panches. In Raikot, 1 for sarpanch and 3 for panches. In Samrala, 27 for sarpanch and 60 for panches. In Sidhwan Bet, 7 for sarpanch and 12 for panches and in Sudhar block, 4 for sarpanch and 12 for panches have been filed so far.
He said the scrutiny of nomination papers would be done on December 20 and the withdrawal of nominations till 3 pm on December 21 and later on the same day, the election symbols would be allotted. The voting would be held from 8 am to 4 pm on December 30 and after counting, the results would be declared the same evening.
He said the process of electing 941 sarpanches and 6,391 panches would be carried out in a peaceful and transparent manner, adding that the places/offices where the nominations can be filed have already been fixed.
Now, no relief for couples
Earlier, in case of couples, female employee could seek relaxation, if both husband and wife were appointed for the election duty. As per the fresh orders of the secretary, State Election Commission, there is no relief for couple cases now. An official said the commission has made an amendment in the orders. All employees under Section 129 of the Punjab State Election Commissioner Act, 1994, can be deployed on election duty as per fresh orders.
Aspiring candidate ‘left in lurch’
Ludhiana: Sundeep Kaur Dhillon, who aspires to file her nominations for the upcoming panchayat elections from Jartauli village under the Dehlon Block has alleged that the district administration has failed to provide her vote despite the fact that all necessary documents were timely submitted and all verifications done by the authorities. SDM East AS Bains, however, said legally, he cannot provide her the vote. As per norms, votes that are made late come under supplementary voter’s list and these are published on the last date itself. The vote will be handed over to her on December 19 morning, he said. Talking to The Tribune, Dhillon said the village was reserved for woman candidate and she wanted to contest the elections on December 30. “We have been making several rounds to the office of the official concerned. All formalities have been completed and I have learnt that the vote is with them. Still, they are not giving it to me. They have ensured that on December 19, they will provide me the same, but then I would be filing nominations in a hurry,” said Dhillon. AS Bains, SDM East, said he was proceeding as per the law. “I have shown them that the vote is with us and it will be handed over timely after we publish the supplementary voters’ list. We already have the mother list (in which votes were made much earlier), but there is a provision to accommodate those who could not enrol themselves earlier in the supplementary list. She enrolled herself late, so we cannot provide the vote before publishing the name in the records,” the official said. — Shivani Bhakoo
Zero tolerance for political interference: SAD
Khanna: A-district level meeting of SAD was organised at Samrala under district President Santa Singh Umaidpur, in which other leaders and workers also participated. Umaidpur in his address stated that political and administration interference in the panchayat elections will not be tolerated by SAD. Umaidpur also flayed the decision of the state government to hold elections in the Shaheedee days of Sahibzadas. He expressed fear that Congress leaders would indulge in the distribution of drugs to attract voters during panchayat elections. This meeting was also addressed by former minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, former MLA Ranjit Singh Talwandi, former minister Ishar Singh Meharwan, former MLA Jagjiwan Singh Khirnia and others. They appealed to the people to vote without fear and facilitate the victory of the Akali Dal. OC
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