Ludhiana civic polls: State EC orders re-polling in 2 booths

CHANDIGARH: The State Election Commission on Sunday ordered re-polling in two booths for the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections that took place on Saturday.

Re-polling has been ordered in booth 2 and 3 of Ward number 44 due to the difference between the number of votes in the register and the voting machine.

The polling for the Ludhiana by-elections, which witnessed clashes between contesting party workers while campaigning, witnessed 59.08 per cent turnout after the voting concluded.

While the female turnout was 57.66 per cent, the male turnout was 59.70 percent and the third gender turnout was recorded at 4.17 per cent.

A total of 494 candidates are in fray and there are 10.50 lakh voters. Of the 95 wards going to polls, 56 have been reserved and 39 are in the general category. 40 are reserved for women, seven for SCs, another seven for SC women and two for Other Backward Class (OBC). The results will be declared on February 27.

Ludhiana is witnessing a triangular contest for the first time with Lok Insaaf Party-AAP alliance, SAD-BJP alliance and Congress in competition. MLA Simarjit Bains’ Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) will contest for the first time as an Independent front in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The Congress, which runs the government in Punjab since March 2017, had won the municipal elections in the municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala in December.

The Congress party had also emerged victorious in 20 out of 29 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats.