Vote counting underway for Punjab civic polls amid tight security arrangements
Amritsar, May 29
Counting of votes for the Punjab civic body elections began across multiple counting centres in the state on Friday amid elaborate security arrangements and tight police deployment to ensure the process remains peaceful and smooth.
Polling for 75 Municipal Councils and 20 Nagar Panchayats across Punjab was held on May 26. A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting the elections for various Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats in the state.
According to election officials, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded 1,801 candidates, while the Congress has fielded 1,550 candidates. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 1,316 candidates in the fray, and the Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded 1,251 candidates for the civic body polls.
Officials arrived at the counting centres early in the morning and initiated the counting process. Heavy police deployment has also been made at the centres to ensure peaceful and smooth counting.
Speaking to ANI, Ajnala SDM Charumita said that counting in Ramdas started at 8:30 am and was being conducted across 11 booths. She said all necessary security arrangements had been put in place and that only authorised personnel and polling staff were permitted entry into the counting centres.
"Counting is underway across 11 booths in Ramdas, and we were able to begin the counting process at 08:30 AM. The counting has now started. There are 44 candidates from four parties across these 11 booths. The security arrangements are completely fine; only those who have been issued ID cards or our own staff are allowed entry. A single round of counting will be completed in about an hour to an hour and a half," SDM Charumita said.
Meanwhile, DSP Ajnala Inderjeet Singh said a strong room had been established at Government College, Ajnala, where the ballot boxes and election-related materials were secured before the commencement of counting.
He said adequate police personnel had been deployed at the counting centre and senior officers were overseeing the law-and-order arrangements.
"The civic body elections were held on 26th May. A strong room was designated at Government College, Ajnala, here. The counting of votes is being done here. All over supervision is being done by SP Headquarters. Four SHO-level officers have been deployed here for security. Police personnel are here on law and order duty. Counting will be done peacefully...Counting of votes from 11 wards is being done here. 33 security personnel are here on duty. You can see everything is peaceful here and it will continue to be the same," he told ANI.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see tight security arrangements. But I hope the parties focus on issues like clean water, roads, and waste management rather than just winning seats. Common citizens are tired of empty promises.
Impressive that over 7,500 candidates are contesting. But with so many parties in the fray, does it lead to better governance or just more confusion? The voter turnout on May 26 will tell the real story.
The SDM and DSP sound well-prepared. But elections are just one day—what about the next five years? We need leaders who stay accessible after winning, not only during campaigns. Let’s see who actually delivers this time.
Good to see all major parties participating strongly. AAP with 1,801 candidates shows they are serious about grassroots politics. Competition is healthy for democracy if it translates into better services for people. 🌟
11 booths in Ramdas and 44 candidates—that’s quite a contest! But one round taking an hour to an hour and a half seems slow. Hope the officials speed up the process without compromising accuracy.
Wish there was more awareness campaigns about local candidates and their manifestos. Many people still vote based on party symbols without knowing who is actually contesting. Need more transparency at local level.