Violent end before real fight begins
Akali workers clash, Cong alleges misuse of official machinery
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab State Election Commission has a massive task of holding 11,239 polls for sarpanch and 81,412 for panch on July 3, the campaigning for which ended on a violent note in Moga on Monday.
The panchayats elections are not contested on party symbol but brawls, some with shooting involved, have happened in several villages, between not only the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Opposition Congress but also among the Akalis themselves for dominance in panchayats.
There are reports of liquor and money being distributed to lure voters and the Doaba NRIs flying home in droves to support their near and dear ones. Several panchayat members, 12% of the sarpanches and 22% of the panches have been elected unopposed in the backdrop of the opposition Congress and the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) accusing the ruling SAD of misusing the official machinery. The nomination papers of many Opposition candidates were cancelled allegedly at the SAD leaders’ behest and in connivance with officials.
Thanks to a lot of unanimous elections, the ruling party is in a jubilant mood already. On Monday, the Akali groups clashed at Nihal Singh Wala in Moga district, where a relative of education minister Sikander Singh Maluka faces tough resistance from a rival close to former minister Tota Singh.
The incident occurred close on the heels of bloody clashes in Faridkot on Sunday. Akalis confronted each other also Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts of the Majha region.
The nominees supported by former minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura received a threat from the faction of chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) and Tarn Taran legislator Harmeet Singh Sandhu in villages of Khadoor Sahib and Tarn Taran assembly constituencies.
CPS Desh Raj Dhugga, an Akali legislator, has become a major obstacle for the nominees backed by former Akali minister captain Balbir Baath in the villages of Sri Hargobindpur assembly segment.
The state election commission has countermanded five elections of panch at Masoorwal Bet village in Kapurthala district for re- demarcation of the wards. The decision was based on a complaint from the Congress.