Haryana MC Poll: At 85.9%, Barwala sees highest voter turnout

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, June 19

A fierce triangular contest for the post of Chairperson in the Municipal Committee of Barwala town here has led to the highest polling percentage 85.9% in the Urban Local Body poll.

High stakes involved

• Locals say high stakes were involved in the Barwala MC poll with the local JJP MLA Jogi Ram Sihag taking the command of the election in his hands after the joint candidate of the BJP-JJP, Ramkesh Banwal, joined the fray as the JJP candidate.
• Urban Local Bodies Minister Kamal Gupta had also campaigned for him. He was given a tough fight by Ramesh Kumar who claimed the support of the Congress and Rakesh Garg. Overall, there were 11 candidates for the post of chairperson in the town.

According to reports, except allegations of bogus polling at some booths in Fatehabad and Jind town, the polling passed off peacefully in the all the 15 urban local bodies in six districts including Hisar, Sirsa , Fatehabad, Jind, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri today.

The State Election Commission data indicated that the highest polling percentage (85.9) was reported in Barwala MC in Hisar district. Out of 30,841, 26,506 voters cast their vote. Hansi town, too, has witnessed 70.9 per cent polling.

Harshit, a first-time voter in Barwala stated that waterlogging had been the biggest issue in the MC poll and he too had voted on the plank of local issues, including waterlogging, sewerage and water supply.

A brisk polling started in the morning on a cloudy day today. Nearly 40 per cent polling was recorded by noon in Barwala. Heavy rush at booth number 24 in Ward 13 resulted in resentment among voters who alleged sluggish pace in the voting process inside the polling station.

In Fatehabad town, the ULBs in Fatehabad, Tohana, Ratia and Bhuna towns witnessed brisk polling of 74.7 per cent, 78.8 per cent, 76.3 per cent and 81.9 per cent, respectively. Close contests are witnessed in Fatehabad, Tohana and Ratia towns where the ruling coalition candidates are given a tough fight by Independents.

Sirsa district where the polling was conducted in Ellenabad, Rania and Dabwali ULBs was conducted in a peaceful manner. In Sirsa district, Rania town witnessed highest polling of 81.8 per cent where the prestige of Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala was at stake who had camped here for canvassing for the BJP candidate. Apart from the ruling BJP-JJP candidates, presence of INLD candidates in Dabwali and Rania besides the Congress-supported Independents had resulted in keen contest in these two towns.

In Jind district where voters voted for four ULBs, including Jind, Narwana, Uchana and Safidon towns, polling remained peaceful amid minor incidents of allegations and counter-allegations of bogus polling.

In Bhiwani town, a sluggish polling of 63.6 per cent was reported in the four-cornered contest among the BJP-JJP, AAP and two Independents, including one of the Congress-supported candidates. The BJP MP from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh LS constituency, Dharambir Singh, also cast his vote in Bhiwani. About 68.2 per cent polling was reported in Charkhi Dadri town.

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