Haryana local body polls conclude with 54.5 pc turnout

Polling for the election of mayor and ward councillors in Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat, president and councillors in the Rewari municipal council, and for presidents and councillors in the municipal committees of Sampla in Rohtak district, Dharuhera in Rewari district, and Uklana in Hisar district took place on Sunday.

The local body elections in Haryana, including in the municipal corporations of Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat, recorded a voter turnout of 54.5 per cent on Sunday, officials said. Voting began at 8 am and continued till 6 pm amid tight security arrangements. The votes will be counted on May 13, they said. Polling for the election of mayor and ward councillors in Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat, president and councillors in the Rewari municipal council, and for presidents and councillors in the municipal committees of Sampla in Rohtak district, Dharuhera in Rewari district, and Uklana in Hisar district took place on Sunday. In addition, by-elections were held for one ward each in the municipal councils and municipal committees of Tohana, Jhajjar, Rajound, Taraori, Kanina and Sadhaura. Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat recorded a voter turnout of 54.4 per cent, 52.7 per cent and 47.9 per cent, respectively, according to the State Election Commission (SEC) portal. In Hisar, Rewari and Rohtak, the turnout was 75.7 per cent, 66.1 per cent and 79.2 per cent, respectively. Out of the total 8.73 lakh eligible voters for the local bodies, 4.75 lakh exercised their franchise, SEC data showed. A total of 817 polling booths were set up for the elections, in which the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are the main contestants. For the mayor's post in Ambala, the BJP has fielded Akshita Saini, the Congress nominee is Kulwinder Kaur, while Sonia Rani is contesting as an Independent candidate. The 20 wards that went to the polls in Ambala comprised 1.98 lakh voters. In Panchkula, BJP's Shyamlal Bansal and Sudha Bhardwaj of the Congress are contesting for the mayor's post, along with AAP's Rajesh Kumar, and Manoj Agarwal of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). Polling was held for 20 wards in Panchkula with 2.07 lakh eligible voters. For the mayor's post in Sonipat, the BJP has fielded Rajiv Jain, while Kamal Diwan is the Congress nominee. A total of 2.96 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise for the 22 wards in Sonipat. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini appealed to people to vote in large numbers. Extensive arrangements were made at the polling stations to ensure that voters did not face any inconvenience, including clear signage, help desks, drinking water, toilets, and other basic amenities, officials said. Special arrangements were made for differently-abled voters, senior citizens, women, and those who were unwell, including ramps, wheelchairs and separate queues, they said.