Polling in the by-election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday recorded a voter turnout of about 54%, a Punjab election official said. It is witnessing a four-cornered electoral battle. Voting began at 8 am amid tight security and continued till 6 pm, officials said, adding that voters still in queue would be allowed to exercise their franchise.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary due to a cardiac arrest during his party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in January. The AAP, which is the ruling party in the state, the Congress, BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal are vying to outdo each other in the Dalit stronghold.
Opposition party leaders accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of violating the model code of conduct by deploying outsiders at several booths, a charge denied by the ruling party.
