Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today expressed today expressed happiness on the peaceful manner in which Punjabis exercised their franchise in all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State.In a statement here, Mr Badal said it was gratifying that not a single law and order incident had been reported from anywhere in the State. He said it was also noteworthy that all sections of society came out in large numbers to cast their franchise. "The very fact that people have participated in this exercise in such large numbers indicates that they are concerned about their country and want to be part of the process to decide which way it will go next", he added.
Badal complimented the law enforcement agencies as well as the civil machinery for the excellent manner in which they oversaw the voting process. "The official machinery has risen to the occasion and created the right atmosphere for people to cast their votes in a smooth and peaceful manner", he added.The SAD president also thanked the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadre for the responsible manner in which it participated in the election process. He also thanked the SAD cadre for the work put in by the volunteers for the greater good of the party.