CHANDIGARH: The turnout in the Haryana assembly elections was around 65 per cent baring a few stray incidents between the BJP and Congress the polling remained peaceful in the state.
The state had recorded 76.54 per cent voting in the 2014 assembly polls. The voting percentage was 71.84 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and 70.35 per cent in this year's Lok Sabha election.
The supporters of both Congress and BJP clashed outside a polling booth in Malaaka village in Nuh district in Ferozepur Jhirka assembly constituency, one woman was injured among several others. Meanwhile, in Palwal around eleven people were detained on charges of trying to create disturbance during the voting and the administration also impounded two vehicles.
Haryana Director General of Police, Manoj Yadava said that no untoward incident of poll-related violence was reported from anywhere till completion of polling.
However, about half a dozen incidents of clashes outside polling booths were reported from Rohtak and Nuh districts. More than 75,000 personnel from the State and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed to ensure that no anti-social element causes any trouble.
While Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala along with wife Meghna and mother Naina Chautala who is a sitting MLA came on a tractor to vote at a polling booth in Sirsa. He alleged that bogus polling took place in the Dumarkha village, the native village of sitting BJP MLA Prem Lata who is the wife of former union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh in his constituency Uchana Kalan. "I have given a complaint to the Returning Officer concerned,’’ he said.
In the morning Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar travelled by Jan Shatabdi train from Chandigarh to cast his vote in Karnal from where he is seeking re-election. When he reached Karnal, he rode a bicycle to reach the polling booth and urged people to try and make use of cycle to commute at least short distances as it would help protect the environment.
Also, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda voted in his constituency Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak. Before casting his vote Hooda along with his family offered prayers at a temple.
The prominent leaders in the fray are Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, JJP's Dushyant Chautala and INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala. The Congress is hoping to make a comeback following a change in guard in the state, while the BJP led by Chief Minister Khattar is eyeing to win 75 seats out of 90 as a total of 1,169 candidates are contesting these elections.
69 per cent polling in Himachal bye-polls
Himachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Devesh Kumar said that overall poll percentage stood at around 69 in bye-elections in Dharamshala and Pachhad assembly constituencies. He said that 65.38 per cent polling in Dharamshala and around 72.85 per cent polling was registered in Pachhad and no untoward incidents were reported.
74.66 per cent polling in Punjab bye-polls
In the bypolls to four assembly seats Phagwara (Reserve), Jalalabad, Dakha and Mukerian in Punjab around 74.66 per cent voting took place.