Punjab went through polling under a single phase on February 20. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), voter turnout stood at above 65%. However, it is a decline from the 2017 figure, which stood at 77.36%. The polling started at 6 am and concluded by 6 pm.
The Numbers
1,304 candidates contested from their respective seats across the state. Out of 2.14 crore eligible voters, 65+ % showed up to exercise their voting rights. The voting took place on all 117 seats of the state on Sunday.
Since new electoral formations have taken place in the state recently, the polls were slightly different compared to those historically conducted in Punjab. However, they can still be easily analyzed by considering the state’s demographic composition. The National Family Health Survey 2015-2016 states Sikhs and Hindus make up most of the state’s demographic, standing at 61% and 35.8%, respectively.
However, the distribution must be noted; it is not uniform throughout the state. For example, in the Doaba region, which consists of 23 seats, Hindus and Sikhs are roughly equal in number. In contrast, the Sikhs outnumber Hindus vastly in the Majha and Malwa regions, composed of 94 seats.
Interesting developments
According to Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju, 18 minor polling incidents took place in the state, for which FIRs have been filed. He further said that these were minor incidents such as altercations between groups and petty disagreements.
In the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, two centenarian women cast their votes at their respective polling stations on Sunday. Jio, who is 106 years old, cast her vote at Nandan Village. The other, named Shakuntala Devi, who is 102 years old- cast her vote at a booth in a local bank colony.
The formation of “Pink Booths” was undertaken by women in the Moga district of the state. These booths provide special arrangements for pregnant women and persons with disabilities. These booths are set up entirely by the women polling personnel in the state. These booths were set up by the Election Commission (EC) to encourage more female voters to come out and exercise their right of franchise.
Malvika Sood, the Congress candidate from Moga Assembly Constituency, claims to have done a lot of social work in her constituency. “People are dialling me and saying that we are waiting for the voting to start and will vote for you. We have done many social works. I don’t think any other candidate has done so much social work,” Deccan Herald quoted Malvika as saying. She is the sister of well-known Bollywood actor Sonu Sood.
Political parties did not let go of an opportunity to attack each other as SAD leader Bikram S Majithia claimed that this time around, the people would reject Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s “arrogance and hate politics”.
The election results are due to be out on March 10, 2022.
