Chandigarh, Amritsar, 17 October 2024: In an unexpected turn of events during the gram panchayat elections in Taran Taran’s Jodhpur village, the NOTA (None Of The Above) option received the highest number of votes, effectively becoming the ‘elected’ sarpanch. The elections for 228 sarpanches and other village panchayat members were conducted on Tuesday under strict security measures. Notably, Jodhpur was the only village where NOTA outperformed candidates backed by political parties.
Meanwhile, the election in Muse village was canceled after unidentified individuals snatched ballot papers from the presiding officer. Kamalmeet Singh, DSP (City) of Tarn Taran, confirmed that a case has been registered by the Chabal police regarding this incident.
In Jodhpur village, Balwinder Kaur, supported by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), faced a competitive challenge from her rival, Rani. Kaur received 271 votes while Rani garnered 247 votes. However, NOTA surprisingly received 368 votes, prompting concern among leaders from various political parties. The Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) announced that a letter will be sent to the State Election Commission to seek guidance on the matter. As of now, none of the candidates have been issued certificates of victory for the position of sarpanch, according to official sources.
The Jodhpur village panchayat comprises nine members (panches), of which three were elected unopposed, while the remaining six were chosen through the election held on Tuesday.
In terms of voter turnout, the overall polling percentage has increased to 64.40%, up from 52% in previous elections. In the Patti block, all 72 sarpanches were elected unopposed, resulting in zero percent polling, while the Naushehra Pannuan block saw a 73.37% turnout. Other blocks reported the following polling percentages: Bhikhiwind at 67.77%, Valtoha at 76.69%, Gandiwind at 66.29%, Tarn Taran at 66.19%, Khadoor Sahib at 64.79%, and Chohla Sahib at 62.24%
