- विज्ञापन -
Chandigarh: The dates for the municipal elections in Punjab have been announced. State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary held a press conference at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh to share the details. He confirmed that municipal elections will be conducted in five districts of Punjab: Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara, and Patiala.
Nominations will begin tomorrow, December 9, and will continue until December 13. Candidates may withdraw their nominations on December 14. Voting is scheduled for December 21, with the election results to be declared on the same evening.
The Election Commission has implemented some changes to the election process this time. According to the Election Commissioner, the municipal elections will be conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and voting will start one hour earlier than usual. During the press conference, State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary emphasized that preparations are already underway.
Since the elections will be using EVMs, the machines need to be prepared, and the Commission has purchased the latest ones. Chaudhary also announced that the Model Code of Conduct is in effect starting today. Voter lists have been sent for revision, with the latest publication completed on December 7. The municipal elections in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phagwara, and Patiala will involve a total of 3,732,000 voters, of which 1,950,000 are male and 1,700,000 are female.
Polling hours will be from 7 AM to 4 PM, a change from the previous hours of 8 AM to 4 PM, allowing for an extra hour of voting. In total, 381 members will be elected to the Municipal Corporation, while 598 members will be elected to the Municipal Councils. Preparations for law and order are ongoing, with three officials assigned to each polling station.
If there are two polling stations, two officers will be deployed there. The Commissioner has also issued instructions regarding the handling of arms and ammunition during the elections. It is prohibited to carry weapons from now until the election process is completed. These directives have been communicated, and District Commissioners have been instructed to manage the submission of any weapons at their discretion.
