Jalandhar: Voting for 99 wards across five municipal councils and two nagar panchayats in Jalandhar district will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and continue till 5 p.m.
To ensure peaceful, transparent and fair elections, the district administration has deployed 133 polling parties comprising nearly 800 employees. A total of 1,08,067 voters will exercise their franchise to decide the political fate of 341 candidates.
Around 1,200 police personnel have been deployed as part of the security arrangements. The counting of votes will take place on May 29, 2026.
On Monday, the district administration dispatched polling parties along with election material from various dispatch centres to their respective polling stations.
Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Varjeet Walia encouraged the polling staff to carry out their duties with honesty and dedication.
341 Candidates in the Fray
A total of 341 candidates are contesting the elections. Among the total voters, 54,943 are men, 53,116 are women and eight belong to the third gender category.
To ensure smooth polling, nearly 800 employees have been deployed, with 20 per cent staff kept in reserve. Each polling party consists of one Presiding Officer (PRO), one Assistant Presiding Officer (APRO) and three Polling Officers (POs).
Nakodar Has Highest Number of Voters
Nakodar has the highest number of voters among the civic bodies with 27,964 voters. Besides this, Kartarpur has 19,736 voters, Phillaur 19,179, Adampur 12,610 and Noormahal 11,105 voters.
In the nagar panchayats, Lohian Khas has 7,958 voters, while Mehatpur has 9,515 voters.
Phillaur is expected to witness the toughest contest, with 57 candidates contesting across 15 wards. Nakodar has 55 candidates in 17 wards, Kartarpur 50 candidates in 15 wards, Adampur 44 candidates and Noormahal 41 candidates. Meanwhile, 47 candidates each are contesting in the 13 wards of Mehatpur and Lohian Khas nagar panchayats.
Administration Appeals for Fear-Free Voting
The District Election Officer appealed to voters to cast their votes without fear, pressure or inducement.
He stated that voters whose names are listed in the electoral rolls but who do not possess voter photo identity cards can still vote using any of the 15 alternative identity documents approved by the State Election Commission, including driving licences, passports, PAN cards and ration cards.
Tight Security Arrangements in Place
SSP Harvinder Singh Virk said elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful elections.
He added that nearly 1,200 police officers and personnel have been deployed across the district to maintain law and order, while continuous monitoring is being carried out at polling booths to prevent any untoward incidents.