One person was injured in firing during the SGPC polls at Karaiwala village of the most sensitive Gidderbaha segment, the stronghold of People's Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal. The election has been cancelled at Karaiwala and two other booths of the government school at Buttarshree where "unidentified" persons captured the booths and indulged in fake polling.
In another incident, SAD candidate from Dodha segment Navtej Singh Kauni was allegedly manhandled by the supporters of Independent candidate Roop Singh Gurisanghar in a polling station in his native Kauni village. Roop Singh was being supported by Manpreet Badal. The SGPC election, particularly in Gidderbaha and Dodha segments, is considered politically significant due to a proxy fight between Deputy CM and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Manpreet Singh. Repeated attempts to reach the election observer, Mahabir Prasad, on his mobile phone to enquire about the violence remained futile as his liaison officer every time said he was busy on the other phone.
Gidderbaha SDM Pushpender Singh confirmed that the election at Karaiwala village had been cancelled and the Election Commission would fix the date for repoll. He said the firing incident took place elsewhere in the village and not in the polling station.
The police said the incident was being enquired as supporters of both the ruling SAD and PPP were accusing each other of having fired gun shots due to which a local, Charanjit Singh, suffered bullet wounds on his arm.
An angry mob blocked the Bathinda-Muktsar highway for several hours to protest against capturing of two booths at Buttarshree government school. They raised slogans against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the SAD candidate Kauni.
Independent candidate Roop Singh alleged that a police squad led by a DSP was involved in booth capturing. His polling agent Gurcharan alleged that some unidentified persons forcibly carried him away in a vehicle and let him free at Bhaliwana.
The returning officer of the segment, Kamal Garg, District Transport Officer, confirmed that the election in the two booths had been cancelled and a FIR has been registered.
