Polling for zila parishads and panchayat samitis in Punjab took place Wednesday amid stray incidents of clashes between Congress and SAD workers and allegations of poll rigging by opposition parties.
Opposition Akali Dal accused the Congress of resorting to "booth capturing, bogus voting and using muscle power", charges denied by the state's ruling party which claimed the polling was "free and fair".
Voting began at 8 am and went on till 4 pm, officials said. The counting of votes will take place on September 22.
A total of 354 zila parishad members and 2,900 panchayat samiti members will be elected in these polls, officials said. There are 22 zila parishads and 150 panchayat samitis in the state.
Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who visited polling booths in his area after casting his vote in Muktsar district, alleged a large number of Congress workers, brandishing swords, were involved in "booth capturing" while charging the police with being "mute spectators".
"Booth capturing is taking place and as an MLA, I will not tolerate this in my area. Police was not performing its duty. SSP does not take my phone call. What kind of elections were these, where booths were captured and nomination papers of Akalis rejected," Parkash Singh Badal asked.
Akali leader Bikram Sigh Majithia alleged 62 polling booths in Ferozepur, Muktsar, Bathinda, Moga, Sangrur, Patiala, Mohali, Faridkot etc were captured by Congress workers.
"Congress men resorted to bogus voting, large scale violence and threatening the presiding officers with their muscle power," alleged Majithia.
Akali leaders claimed Congress workers allegedly hit at Akali workers and others who dared to resist and resorted to firing in Dullewal village in Bathinda district where a girl was injured.
However, Bathinda DSP Gurpreet Singh said there was no incident of firing in Dullewal. The girl was injured when she was hit by a vehicle, said the DSP.
In Bathinda, former minister and Akali leader Sikandar Singh Maluka along with party workers blocked Bhagta Bathinda road alleging that Congress workers were involved in booth capturing at Kangar, Bhai Rupa and Salabatpura.
Bathinda DSP Gurpreet rejected the accusations but said there was an incident at Dyalpur Mirza polling booth in Bathinda where some people were involved in booth capturing and a video of which went viral on social media.
He said a probe was ordered.
Majithia claimed Congress workers led by ministers, legislators indulged in bogus voting and claimed one returning officer was caught on video camera stamping ballot papers in favour of Congress.
In Dera Bassi, the ballot papers received by the presiding officer were already stamped in favour of Congress, Majithia alleged. A former minister, Majithia said the party has decided to approach the Punjab and Haryana High court in connection with alleged poll rigging.
Clashes between Congress and Akali workers were reported from several areas in Ferozepur, Muktsar, Bathinda, and Amritsar.
During clashes, members of both factions pelted stones at each other and used sticks as weapons causing minor injuries to a few.
Rejecting the accusations of the Akali Dal, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar claimed polling was "peaceful, free and fair".
"They (Akalis) are just trying to find an excuse to explain their defeat which they anticipate like they witnessed in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, Shahkot Assembly bypoll and municipal corporation elections. Akalis have been totally routed and this is what is going to happen in zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls," Jakhar claimed.
The Aam Aadmi Party also accused Congress of "murdering democracy" by indulging in booth capturing.
With the Congress touted as the favourite to win the zila parishads and panchayat samitis after a gap of 10 years, the main contest remained between the ruling party and the SAD-BJP alliance.
In Ferozepur, some unidentified persons fired in the air at Basti Ajij Wali area and broke the window panes of a car belonging to an SAD worker, police said.
A 44-year old man died when he was returning to home after casting his vote at a polling booth in Fatehgarh Sahib district, officials said.
A total of 17,268 polling booths were set up, 35 observers appointed and around 50,000 police personnel deployed for the polls in Punjab.
Thirty three candidates were earlier elected unopposed to various zila parishads and 369 nominees were declared elected unopposed to the panchayat samitis.
There are a total of 1,27,87,395 registered voters, comprising 60,99,053 women and 97 third-gender voters who were eligible to cast votes.
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