Re-polling in ward number 10 of Mohali.
Re-polling in Mohali witness 60% polling, results will out tomorrow
Harshabab Sidhu
Mohali, February 17, 2021: The re-polling in booths number 32 and 33 of ward 10, witnessed approximately 60 percent polling today. The polling in the ward, where the health minister’s brother is contesting elections, was more today as compared to the polling on February 14.
Disclosing this here today District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner Mohali, Girish Dayalan said that a total of 999 votes (59.39% polling) were polled in ward number 10 out of which 497 men and 502 women cast their votes. The re-polling was conducted today at two booths following the order of the state election commission (SEC) on Tuesday. As per the information, 527 votes were polled in booth number 32 while 472 in booth number 33.
The results of re-polling will be out tomorrow along with the results of all 50 wards of Mohali Municipal Corporation. The counting of votes will start at 9 am on Thursday.
Tight security of police seen around the sensitive ward:
As the elections were declared void by the SEC on Monday, today re-polling was conducted here in the presence of large police security. Many police personnel kept standing around the booth area and they did not let anyone enter inside the polling area without checking his/her identity proof. Mohali SDM cum Returning Officer Jagdeep Saigal also visited the spot to check the security arrangements.
The re-polling was started today at 8 am and it continued till 4 pm. After 4 pm, the gates of the polling booth were closed by the police, and no one was allowed to cast the vote. At around 5 pm, the electronic voting machines were securely taken by the polling staff in a special bus with the police cover.
Reason for re-polling:
The candidate of Azad Group, Paramjit Singh Kahlon had alleged electoral malpractices in the polling of this ward. He also had alleged that his opponent Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu, brother of Balbir Singh Sidhu, cast illegal votes on February 14 and the police were unable to stop him. Kahlon had submitted a complaint to the SEC in this regard and demanded re-polling in the two booths. The inquiry was conducted by Mohali DC in this regard and that inquiry report was submitted by SDM to the SEC. It was found in the report that the polling process of the booths was vitiated following which the SEC ordered re-polling. With this, the counting for the Mohali MC was also rescheduled.
The candidates contesting from 50 wards in Mohali MC elections, now have to wait for some more hours as the result will out tomorrow.