Punjab is all set to make new high in the poll percentage with polling percentage likely to touch 73% surpassing earlier high of 70.1% of 2009 Lok Sabha Elections. Briefing the media at 7:00 PM, Punjab CEO Mr. V.K. Singh said that voting was still continuing at various polling locations with people standing in queues at 6:00 PM would be given opportunity to exercise their franchise. He said that as per initial data collected by ECI, the voting percentage was 68% that was expected to cross 73% with finalization of data at night. He said that enthusiastic polling was witnessed in Sangrur, Patiala and Bathinda whereas moderate polling was witnessed in Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur. He congratulated the people of Punjab for ensuring overall peaceful conduct of elections in the state. He said that it was matter of great satisfaction that only 4 FIRs of minor skirmishes were registered against 44 FIRs registered during 2009 Lok Sabha Elections. Giving the details of incidents, he said that at the first incident in polling station 162 of Patiala Rural (Tripari), few people entered polling station and threw the control unit of EVM on ground that damaged the unit partially. He said that two people have been arrested and FIR has been registered against guilty people.
Singh said that polling was continued with new machine and efforts would be made to retrieve data from old machine. He said that at Rasoolpur village of Patiala candidate of Aam Adami Party Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi was attacked by some political opponents and police has registered an FIR in this matter. Another incident happened in village Gallowal Hargobindpur of Batala Sub pision where a fight broke out between supporters of two political parties. In third incident in Ferozepur constituency FIR under 131/132 IPC of Representation of Peoples Act was registered for disorderly conduct of some inpiduals in the polling station. In the fourth incident in the same constituency an FIR under 171 IPC was registered for undue influence to voters. He said that in an unrelated incident at village Cheecha near village Rampura of Assembly Constituency Attari a service weapon of security personnel was fired accidentally in which nobody was injured. He said that a fight broke out between supporters of two political parties at Kartarpur 4-Jalandhar Parliamentary Constituency. An FIR has been registered in this matter. The CEO said that over 400 EVMs were replaced due to faulty working. He said that over 300 EVMs were replaced in the first hour of voting as EVMs in Punjab were quiet old. Answering a query regarding any prospects of repoll in any polling booth, Mr. Singh said that there could be repoll in 2-3 polling booths due to various EVM problems depending upon the reports of Retuning Officers and Observers.