By Admin 
Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Punjab started in a peaceful atmosphere on Sunday (14 December), but as the day progressed, political allegations and counter-allegations intensified. Voting started at 8 am for a total of 22 district councils and 153 panchayat samitis in the state, which continued till 4 pm. According to the State Election Commission, about 48 percent voting was recorded in the entire state. Counting of votes will be done on December 17.
Allegations of rigging, attack by opposition
During the voting, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal made serious allegations against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of blatant rigging. Congress leaders say that at many places ‘AAP’ supporters tried to influence the voting process.
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding alleged that a polling booth was captured at the behest of the local AAP MLA in Babania village of Muktsar district.
CM rejected the allegations
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann completely rejected the allegations of the opposition and said that these allegations are an admission of defeat by the opposition. He said that the elections have been conducted in a fair manner and the public’s decision will be visible to all.
The State Election Commission issued a statement saying that no major loss of life or property or serious clashes have been reported from anywhere during the voting. However, following complaints of violence and irregularities, the Commission has ordered re-polling on Monday in some zones of Amritsar, Barnala, Muktsar, Gurdaspur and Jalandhar.
Controversy arose over photographs of ballot papers
Shiromani Akali Dal wrote a letter to the State Election Commission alleging that an AAP candidate in Fatehgarh Sahib had posted pictures of ballot papers on social media about 10 hours before the start of voting. Akali Dal has called it a serious violation of election rules.
During the elections, incidents of stone pelting between workers of rival parties were reported in many areas including Tarn Taran and Ferozepur. There is also news of a BJP candidate being injured in the clash that took place in Bukankhanwala village of Firozpur.
Meanwhile, a sad news came from Moga district. The car of a government teacher couple going on election duty fell into a drain, resulting in the death of both of them. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed deep sorrow over this incident and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.