Punjab Election 2022: Over 64% voter turnout recorded in state

By Team Newsable | First Published Feb 20, 2022, 7:00 AM IST

Voting is underway in 117 seats across 23 districts of Punjab in the single phase of Assembly elections on Sunday. The Assembly elections results will be revealed on March 10.

As the Polling is being held on 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab in single phase, over 64 per cent voter turnout recorded in state.

As many as 1,304 candidates, including 93 women are in the fray in the phase, in which over 2.1 crore people are eligible to vote.

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This time around ruling Congress, AAP, Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (SAD-BSP) alliance, Bharatiya Janata Party-Punjab Lok Congress (BJP-PLC) alliance have fielded candidates across 117 seats.

Time: The first phase of the state elections is underway on February 10 in 58 seats, as voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

Candidates & parties in the fray: There are a total of 1,304 candidates for the 117 seats, including 93 women. Congress Navjot Singh Sidhu (contesting from Amritsar), Congress Charanjit Singh Channi (contesting from Bhadaur, Chamkaur Sahib seats), AAP Bhagwant Mann (contesting from Dhuri), SAD Sukhbir Singh Badal (contesting from Jalalabada), Punjab Lok Congress Capt Amarinder Singh (contesting from Patiala), Parakash Singh Badal (contesting from Lambi), Congress Sukhpal Khair (contesting from Bholuth), AAP Kulwant Singh (contesting from Mohali) are some of the key candidates in the fray.

Valid documents needed for voting: About 2.1 crore individuals are eligible to cast their vote. Only individuals with valid identification will be able to vote. To confirm their identification, voters must present their EPIC to the polling station. If a voter does not have their EPIC card, they must provide one of the 12 alternative photo ID cards, which are – Service identification cards with photos for workers of Central and State governments – PSUs and Public Limited Companies, Passport, driving licence, PAN card, Aadhaar card, MGNREGA employment card, health insurance smart card provided under Ministry of Labour programmes, passbooks with pictures issued by banks or post offices, RGI smart card issued under NPR, pension document with photograph.

Covid protocols: The voting will occur following the Covid-19 safety standards and the instructions given by the Election Commission from time to time. While voters are obliged to wear masks, keep social distance, and use sanitiser while voting, election workers will also be provided with a Covid-19 kit to ensure a peaceful election. Thermal scanning will be performed on all individuals before they are allowed to enter the EVM room. The electoral commission may reserve the final hour of voting for Covid positive voters.

In the 2017 Assembly polls in the state, the Congress had won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats, ousting the SAD-BJP government, which had been in power for 10 years. This time, it's a triangular contest with Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is considered a strong contender by the political experts.

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