A voter turnout of 47 per cent was recorded in the elections to seven municipal bodies and 528 Panchayati Raj posts in Haryana on Sunday, amid reports of bogus voting, allegations of bribery, and protests by opposition parties. While polling officially concluded at 6 pm, the Election Commission allowed voters already standing in queues to cast their votes.
According to official data, the Uklana municipal body recorded the highest turnout at 69 per cent, while Sonipat registered the lowest at 40.2 per cent.
The polling process was marred by an incident in Rewari, where a youth was apprehended for allegedly attempting to cast a fraudulent vote at a Government Senior Secondary School.
Following protests by rival candidates, police took the individual into custody. During questioning, the youth reportedly claimed he was acting on the instructions of a local person to vote in favour of the BJP. Police officials said an investigation is underway to identify the person named by the suspect.
Further allegations of electoral malpractice surfaced in Dharuhera, where Congress chairperson candidate Kumari Raj accused the ruling BJP of distributing cash to voters. Raj alleged that BJP workers were handing out Rs 1,000 to influence voters and accused the administration of colluding with the ruling party to rig the election.
Similarly, in Ambala, Congress supporters staged a protest outside a polling booth in Ward 8, claiming that an unidentified woman carrying mismatched credentials was caught attempting to vote but fled before authorities could intervene. They also alleged that BJP workers were allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling stations in violation of Election Commission guidelines.
The elections also drew criticism over inadequate arrangements for elderly voters. In Uklana, a woman accompanying an 80-year-old voter accused security personnel of misconduct and alleged that no wheelchair facility was provided. She claimed the staff asked family members to carry the elderly voter inside themselves, highlighting the lack of basic facilities for senior citizens.
While the results of the Panchayat by-elections are expected later tonight, counting for the municipal polls is scheduled for May 13. In Sonipat and other regions, polling officials completed the sealing of EVMs under heavy security.