Page 8 - The Indian EYE 030422

NATION MARCH 04, 2022 | The Indian Eye 8

Punjab eLectIons 2022

after a low voter turnout,

a battle of nerves and serious

allegations breaks out

Aam Aadmi Party seeks complete safety and security of the Electronic Voting Machines; police case

filed against Sonu Sood; and “Punjab Politics TV” blocked

People stand in a queue to cast their votes, at a polling station in Dera Baba Nanak, during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann arrives at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport
Punjab Assembly Election, in Gurdaspur on Sunday. (ANI Photo) to campaign for the party for uP Assembly elections, in Varanasi on Friday. (ANI Photo)

OuR BuREAu nessing a multi-cornered contest took to Twitter to share the letter for round-the-clock surveillance
this time with Congress, Aam Aad- and said, “We’ve written to the Chief and making suitable arrangements
New Delhi
mi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Electoral Officer, Punjab to take all for CCTV monitored any entry/exit
unjab recorded an average Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, possible steps to ensure complete from the outer perimeter inwards.
voter turnout of 65.50 per and the coalition of Bharatiya Jana- safety of EVMs across the state. Meanwhile, in a major devel-
Pcent on Sunday, which is low- ta Party-former chief minister Ama- People of Punjab have done their opment, the Ministry of Informa-
er as compared to voter turnout in rinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress bit by voting for change, now it is tion and Broadcasting has ordered
2017 when it was over 77 per cent. party as key players. Congress has the EC’s duty to ensure the safety of blocking of apps, websites and social
According to the Election Commis- named incumbent Chief Minister the public mandate. The party asked media accounts of foreign-based
sion of India (ECI)’s data, Mansa Charanjit Singh Channi as their CM for these measures to safeguard the “Punjab Politics TV” having close
recorded the highest voter turnout face, while AAP has field Bhagwant EVMs that included the three-lay- links with Sikhs For Justice (SFJ),
with 77.21 per cent followed by Sri Mann, who is contesting from the ered security arrangements under which has been declared unlawful
Muktsar sahib with 74.12 per cent. Dhuri, as its CM face. the EC’s “tight vigil” including the under the Unlawful Activities (Pre-
In Sangrur, the voter turnout was Now, the Aam Aadmi Party deployment of Para-military Forc- vention) Act, 1967.
71.45 per cent, 72.84 per cent in Punjab unit has written to the Chief es in order to effectually guard the Relying on intelligence inputs
Malerkotla, 71 per cent in Patiala, Electoral Officer of the state to take inner and outer circle of the strong that the channel was attempting to
73.59 per cent in Fazilka and 73.79 all possible steps “to ensure com- rooms across the state of Punjab. use online media to disturb public
per cent in Bathinda. Voter turn- plete safety and security of the Elec- The AAP also urged for the in- order during the ongoing State As-
out was low in Ludhiana (60.29 per tronic Voting Machines (EVMs)” stallation of cameras in and around sembly elections, the Ministry used
cent). across the state of Punjab. the said strong rooms and provid- emergency powers under the IT
This election, Punjab is wit- Party leader Raghav Chadha ing online links to all candidates Continued at next page... >>

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