Ludhiana civic polls: 59.08% turnout recorded as voting concludes

A total of 494 candidates are in fray in 95 wards and there are 10.50 lakh voters.

New Delhi: Polling for the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections, which witnessed clashes between contesting party workers while campaigning, began Saturday morning, where 59.08 percent turnout recorded as voting concludes, reported The Indian Express.

The total turnout was 59.08 percent as voting concluded on Saturday evening. While the female turnout was 57.66 percent, the male turnout was 59.70 percent, and, the third gender turnout was recorded at 4.17 percent, the English daily has reported.

According to election commission officials, voters started queuing up before 8 am, when the voting officially started, and the voting will continue till 4 pm.

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.

Meanwhile, there were reports of fresh clashes on the eve of polling. Keeping this in mind, Election Commission officials declared 284 out of 1,153 polling station as sensitive and heightened security in these areas.

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)

Civic issues like water supply, lack of cleanliness, pollution, bad roads and infrastructure and poor sewerage are the main issues for common people in the election.

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.

(With agency inputs)