 "Chandigarh constituency to witness a triangular fight")
The lone parliamentary constituency of Chandigarh will witness triangular contest between the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), poling for which will held on April 10.
The Congress has fielded formal Union minister for Railway and sitting MP from Chandigarh constituency Pawan Kumar Bansal, Kirron Kher is contesting on BJP ticket, while Aam Admi Party(AAP) has fielded actress Gul Panag.
Pawan Kumar Bansal will be eyeing a fourth consecutive term in the Lok Sabha and a fifth overall. Bansal resigned as railway minister after his name surfaced in a railgate scam in which his nephew, Vijay Singla, was a prime accused. Compared to the BJP and AAP candidates, he is the only experienced politician. On the other hand, Kirron Kher and Gul Panag are well-known celebrities and both are related to Chandigarh.
All the three candidates are campaigning extensively to reach out to voters. The parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the AAP, have been organising various programmes to reach out to first-time electors. While Bansal talks about the development he undertook during his tenure as MP and his future vision, Kher and Panag lists Bansal’s shortcomings and shared their plans for the betterment of Chandigarh. Kher is also banking on the so-called Modi wave to romp to victory.
According to official statistics, the city has a population of nearly 1.2 million. According to poll observers, young voters of the lone Lok Sabha seat of Chandigarh would play a crucial role in the upcoming election as more than half of the electorate in the city is below the age of 40.
Speaking to Business Standard, a poll observer said, “Youngsters and professionals will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the elections. Of the total 605,000 registered voters, more than half of the electorate is below 40.”
However, the voting percentage in the city has been below 70 per cent over past couple of years. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2009, the voting per centage was 65.51 per cent. While, the poll percentage in the city in 2004 was 52.06. In 1998 and 1999, it was 42.36 per cent and 46.99 per cent, respectively.
Perturbed over low voting per centage in recent past, the Chandigarh election department is taking several initiatives to encourage city residents. One such exercise it has decided is to depute National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers at all polling stations in the city for meting out special treatment to voters. The department eyes over 80 per cent voter turnout in this election.
Further, to attract voters, the department has planned a three-day shopping festival starting from April 11 in association with the traders. During the event, discount will be offered to voters.
The Congress has fielded formal Union minister for Railway and sitting MP from Chandigarh constituency Pawan Kumar Bansal, Kirron Kher is contesting on BJP ticket, while Aam Admi Party(AAP) has fielded actress Gul Panag.
Pawan Kumar Bansal will be eyeing a fourth consecutive term in the Lok Sabha and a fifth overall. Bansal resigned as railway minister after his name surfaced in a railgate scam in which his nephew, Vijay Singla, was a prime accused. Compared to the BJP and AAP candidates, he is the only experienced politician. On the other hand, Kirron Kher and Gul Panag are well-known celebrities and both are related to Chandigarh.
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Sources said it is beyond doubt all three candidates have strong followers and they will witness a tough fight for the Chandigarh seat. But at the same time, they mentioned that Bansal might face the anti-incumbency factor.
All the three candidates are campaigning extensively to reach out to voters. The parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the AAP, have been organising various programmes to reach out to first-time electors. While Bansal talks about the development he undertook during his tenure as MP and his future vision, Kher and Panag lists Bansal’s shortcomings and shared their plans for the betterment of Chandigarh. Kher is also banking on the so-called Modi wave to romp to victory.
According to official statistics, the city has a population of nearly 1.2 million. According to poll observers, young voters of the lone Lok Sabha seat of Chandigarh would play a crucial role in the upcoming election as more than half of the electorate in the city is below the age of 40.
Speaking to Business Standard, a poll observer said, “Youngsters and professionals will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the elections. Of the total 605,000 registered voters, more than half of the electorate is below 40.”
However, the voting percentage in the city has been below 70 per cent over past couple of years. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2009, the voting per centage was 65.51 per cent. While, the poll percentage in the city in 2004 was 52.06. In 1998 and 1999, it was 42.36 per cent and 46.99 per cent, respectively.
Perturbed over low voting per centage in recent past, the Chandigarh election department is taking several initiatives to encourage city residents. One such exercise it has decided is to depute National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers at all polling stations in the city for meting out special treatment to voters. The department eyes over 80 per cent voter turnout in this election.
Further, to attract voters, the department has planned a three-day shopping festival starting from April 11 in association with the traders. During the event, discount will be offered to voters.