Assembly Elections | 65.32% turnout in Punjab, 60.46% in Uttar Pradesh phase 3
The HinduPolling in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Sunday was largely peaceful, with 65.32% turnout in Punjab and 60.46% in Uttar Pradesh, according to the Election Commission. As the State witnessed a lower voter turnout, speculations were rife among political observers about “tactical understanding between traditional parties”. Pointing out that the low turnout could be attributed to the absence of any wave of a particular political party and the absence of any State-level leader who could emerge as the vote mobiliser, Mr. Kumar said, “Another factor for the lower turnout could be the general disillusionment of ordinary voter from the contestant parties, besides populist promises Polling across Punjab was by and large peaceful, however, few incidents of minor clashes were reported. In the high-stakes battle for Punjab, the ruling Congress is trying hard to defend its turf; the Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as the main challenger; the Shiromani Akali Dal is seeking to make a political comeback with a new alliance partner – the Bahujan Samaj Party; while the BJP has tied up with former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress.