Punjab recorded nearly 61 per cent voter turnout till 5 p.m. on Monday in the elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats, officials said. The civic body polls are being closely watched as an important political test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state.
Counting of votes will be conducted on May 29 for eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 20 nagar panchayats.
The municipal corporation elections are being held in Abohar, Mohali, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, Batala, Kapurthala and Pathankot.
Polling remained largely peaceful, though isolated incidents of clashes and tension were reported from a few areas. In Samana town of Patiala district, a clash reportedly broke out between two groups outside a polling station, leaving several people injured.
In Nawanshahr, tensions escalated briefly outside a polling booth after an argument allegedly erupted between Independent candidates over attempts to influence voters.
The Punjab State Election Commission had deployed around 32,000 police personnel and nearly 35,000 election staff across the state to ensure smooth and fair conduct of the elections.
A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting the polls, including 1,801 from AAP, 1,550 from the Congress, 1,316 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 1,251 from the Shiromani Akali Dal, and 96 from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In addition, 1,528 Independent candidates are also in the fray.
The electorate comprises 18,33,712 male voters, 17,11,635 women voters and 220 voters registered under the “other” category.