Chandigarh, October 15, 2024: Voting for the Panchayat elections is underway across Punjab, but the day has been overshadowed by reports of violence, including shootings and injuries.
According to reports gathered by Unmute, clashes have erupted in several villages, notably in Patiala, where two people were injured due to firing incidents attributed to outsiders at a polling booth.
In another tragic incident, Senior Constable Lakha Singh, aged 53, died while on duty for the Panchayat elections in Barnala.
Also, voting was halted in Mansa Khurd village due to reports of misprinted ballot papers.
Moreover, a teacher who had traveled from Fazilka to Jalandhar for election duty was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Monday night.
In TarN Taran district, firing outside the polling booth in Sohal Sain village left one person injured, and tensions escalated as a fight broke out among voters waiting to cast their ballots.
The elections, which began at 8 AM and will continue until 4 PM, have seen 44 percent voter turnout by 2 PM.
Results are expected to be announced this evening.
The elections involve a total of 13,937 Gram Panchayats, with 96,000 employees deployed for the process, which is being conducted via ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Voters also have the option to select NOTA (None of the Above) on the ballot.
