Violence and Allegations Mar Punjab Civic Elections

Civic elections in Punjab were disrupted by clashes, booth capturing, and violence. Jagdev Singh Jagga was injured in an attack. Allegations flew as political tensions heightened between Congress, AAP, BJP, and SAD, highlighting a fragile law and order situation ahead of upcoming assembly elections.

Clashes involving supporters of Congress, AAP, BJP and SAD and allegations of booth capturing were reported at several places in Punjab during the civic elections on Tuesday.

The state recorded a voter turnout of 45.60 per cent till 2 pm in the local body elections, seen as the semi-final before the assembly elections next year.

Congress candidate from Ward number 4 in Raikot, Jagdev Singh Jagga was injured in an attack with sharp-edged weapons by a group of people. He was admitted to a private hospital in Ludhiana, officials said.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the incident and targeted the AAP government over the law and order situation in the state.

''The brutal attack on Congress candidate Jagdev Singh Jagga in Raikot exposes the complete collapse of law & order under the Bhagwant Mann government.

''Gangsters and political goons are roaming freely while the government is busy with ads and reels. If election candidates are unsafe, imagine the condition of common people in Punjab,'' Warring said on X.

In Barnala, the husband of BJP candidate from Ward number 15, Deepinder Kaur, was assaulted by a group of people following heated exchanges after he made allegations of bogus voting. His turban was removed and he suffered injuries, after which he was taken to a hospital.

A clash erupted between the supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gidderabha in Muktsar district during polling in Ward numbers 18 and 19, officials said.

The SAD later lodged a complaint with the Punjab State Election Commission against AAP MLA Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and others, accusing them of indulging in booth capturing, assault and intimidation.

Tension prevailed in Samana in Patiala where a group of people indulged in stone-pelting at police personnel following an altercation. The police resorted to cane charging to disperse the crowd and polling was temporarily stalled, the officials said.

In Amritsar's Majitha, supporters of SAD and AAP clashed, prompting police to intervene in the matter, they said.