JOIN USBarring stray incidents of violence at Barnala in which five persons were injured and one Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) worker received bullet injuries in arm at Patiala, the polling to the four Lok Sabha seats, including the hyper-sensitive Bathinda and Patiala, passed off peacefully with around 65 per cent of total 52.75 lakh electorate exercising their franchise braving the hot conditions.
Five persons, including four supporters of Congress, were injured when a group of activists owing allegiance to Students Organisation of India (SOI), a youth wing of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) brandishing naked swords stormed outside a booth near Barnala bus stand and indulged in hooliganism, officials said.
A Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) worker Musa Khan was injured after a bullet hit him in his arm when two unidentified persons shot at him at Arnabarna chowk in Patiala city, police said. Tampers ran high among supporters of Congress and SOI at a booth outside Bathinda grain market forcing police to fire one shot in air to bring peace.
The voting of 65 per cent this time is higher as cumpared with the 61.59 per cent polling in 2004.
BSP candidate Nem Chand was booked by police at Bretta town when he tried to enter a polling booth along with a weapon, police said adding that his weapon had been confiscated.
No major untoward incident was however reported from any of the four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, Punjab’s Chief electoral Officer (CEO) Kusumjit Sidhu said here at the culmination of poll exercise on four seats of Bathinda, Patiala, Sangrur and Ferozepur. She said that reports of “outsiders” roaming in the constituency have been received from Talwandi Sabo, Rajpura, Bucho Mandi and Dana Mandi.