Ludhiana: Just a day before the municipal council elections in Samrala, the nomination of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Satvir Singh Sekhon was rejected by the authorities. Sekhon was contesting from Ward Number 2.

The development came after a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Amandeep Singh, who is contesting against Sekhon. Advocate Gurveer Singh Dhillon stated that Sekhon had filed his nomination papers despite being barred from contesting elections due to a criminal conviction.

According to the petition, Sekhon had been convicted in a cheating case in 2022 and sentenced to three years in jail. Although he had approached the High Court on May 15 seeking permission to contest the elections, the court dismissed his plea.

High Court Seeks Explanation from Returning Officer

The High Court had summoned the SDM-cum-Returning Officer of Samrala and sought clarification regarding the acceptance of Sekhon’s nomination papers.

Appearing before the court, the Returning Officer informed the bench that the nomination of Satvir Singh Sekhon from Ward Number 2 had been cancelled. Following this submission, the High Court disposed of the petition.

Despite the rejection of his plea by the High Court, Sekhon had still filed his nomination papers for the municipal election.

With Sekhon now out of the contest, Ward Number 2 is set to witness a triangular contest among candidates from the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP.

Efforts were made to contact Sekhon for his response, but he could not be reached.

Tight Security Arrangements for Municipal Elections

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place by the Punjab Police to ensure peaceful, fair and transparent municipal council elections in Khanna, Samrala, Payal and Doraha.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr. Darpan Ahluwalia said that providing a fear-free environment to voters was the administration’s top priority and that no disturbance would be tolerated during the polling process.

He said around 651 police personnel have been deployed for election duty, while 11 gazetted officers and two SP-rank officers have been assigned special responsibilities to monitor the election process.

Sensitive Booths Under CCTV Surveillance

The SSP added that 25 patrolling teams have been conducting round-the-clock patrols in the region over the past two days. Barricading and vehicle checking operations are also being carried out around polling stations and sensitive areas.

Special teams have been deployed to monitor social media and take immediate action against rumours or inflammatory posts aimed at disturbing the election atmosphere.

According to officials, 50 polling booths have been declared sensitive, while four booths have been categorised as highly sensitive. CCTV cameras have been installed both inside and outside these booths in compliance with High Court directions.

Polling Begins Across Six Municipal Councils

Polling for municipal council elections in six civic bodies of Ludhiana district — Khanna, Samrala, Payal, Doraha, Raikot and Jagraon — will take place on Tuesday.

A total of 452 candidates are in the fray, while 2,09,561 voters will decide their fate. Voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. across 108 wards and 257 polling stations.

Four wards have already been elected unopposed, including three in Samrala and one in Khanna.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain appealed to voters to cast their votes fearlessly and in large numbers. He said the administration has made all necessary arrangements to ensure free and fair elections.

Nearly One Lakh Voters in Khanna Alone

Municipal Council Khanna has the highest number of voters at 99,391. Samrala has 17,167 voters, Payal 6,371, Doraha 18,160, Raikot 20,596 and Jagraon 47,876 voters.

Officials said voters without voter ID cards would still be allowed to vote using valid identity documents such as Aadhaar cards, passports, driving licences, PAN cards, ration cards, bank passbooks or employee identity cards.

The counting of votes for the municipal council elections will take place on May 29.