Punjab Election Dates announcement, READ FULL SCHEDULE: The assembly election in Punjab will be held in one single phase on February 20, the election commission announced on Saturday. The counting of votes will take place on March 10, 2022. There are 117 assembly seats in the state.
The elections will be held amid full Covid protocols as the country goes through the third wave led by Omicron variant. The dates have been announced considering all the safety norms.
Over 18.34 crore voters will exercise their right to vote in the forthcoming assembly elections in the 5 states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Manipur.
Over 24 lakh people will be first-time voters in the upcoming elections. All polling stations shall be located on ground floors across states to facilitate ease of access and shall be equipped with Covid mitigating facilities.
More than 2.30 lakh polling stations will be established to conduct free, fair, safe polls.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today hailed the announcement of polls in Punjab on February 14, saying the 'big day' will decide the future of the state, while Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said the people would heave a big sigh of relief with the end of 'misgovernance'.
Appealing to the people to participate in the carnival of democracy with full spirit while at the same time observing all COVID-related protocols, the two-time Chief Minister said, "Sooner the better. We are all set for the big day that will decide the future of Punjab."
The counting of ballots on March 10 will take place along with four other states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
SAD President Badal also hailed the poll announcement, saying the people of the state will heave a big sigh of relief. "This signals the end of anarchy, chaos, confusion and misgovernance in Punjab,"
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The term of the current assembly elected in 2017 will expire on March 27, 2022, unless it is dissolved sooner.
This is a crucial election for the Congress party because other than facing its old opponent Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it will have its own rebellious leader Captain Amarinder Singh in the fray.
Ahead of the Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) and Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress have formed a six member-Committee to decide on seat sharing, informed Punjab BJP in charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured 3 seats.
Also, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Sushil Chandra earlier said that around 165 exclusively women-run polling booths and 57 polling booths managed by people with disabilities would be set up for the election in Punjab.
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