The State Election Commission (SEC) put the voter turnout at 84 per cent. The turnout was almost 100 per cent in Dhani Mohna Ram village of Fazilka where 231 of the 232 voters cast their vote.
Elections were held to 13,080 village panchayats. The results were out at most places by evening. Approximately 1.06 crore of the total 1,27 crore voters exercised franchise. Ajitgarh, Fazilka and Mansa districts topped the chart with almost 90 per cent polling. Amritsar recorded 65 per cent polling, which was the lowest.
Polling was countermanded in 12 wards and three village panchayats, including Basti Kishan Singhwala in Ferozepur district, where ballot papers were burnt with acid. State Election Commissioner SS Brar said the elections in other villages was countermanded for technical reasons.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD president, claimed the Punjab Congress had faced the ire of the people for trying to scuttle the poll process by approaching the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He claimed that with the ruling alliance sweeping the panchayat poll as well, the Congress had been left with a "zero base".
There was a scuffle between SAD and Congress supporters at Morewal village on the Ferozepur-Muktsar road. Stones were thrown at party agents in Talwandi Sallan village near Tanda in Hoshiarpur district. Polling was stopped at Hargobindpur village near Batala after a clash between two groups. Two persons were arrested.
A repoll has been ordered in Sarhiali Khurd in Tarn Taran district. Patiala district will see a repoll for three seats of panches and two of sarpanch; Ghumanpura and Suchanderpur villages in Amritsar district will see a repoll in some wards; there will be repolling in Basti Kishen Singhwala and Shahwala warria villages in Ferozepur district for one ward each. Gurdaspur will see a repoll in three wards. Elections in the three Gurdaspur villages have been postponed because of death of candidates. Polling in Akbarpur village of Kapurthala district was held up because of confusion over the election symbols of two candidates.
Elections in Mansoorwala Bet village of Kapurthala district were countermanded on July 1. The Congress lost in most wards in Qadian in Gurdaspur district. The seat is represented by Charanjit Kaur, wife of PCC president Partap Bajwa. Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira was able to get his candidate elected as sarpanch in Ramgarh village of Kapurthala.
