Punjab records modest turnout as LS polls draw to a close

Chandigarh, June 1 (IANS) Punjab recorded a modest voter turnout in the 13 Lok Sabha seats that went to the polls on Saturday. 

According to poll officials, an estimated voter turnout of 55.20 per cent was recorded in the state as of 5 p.m. The overall turnout would increase further after the final tally is received by the Election Commission, they said.

At 59.25 per cent, the Bathinda seat recorded the highest voter turnout while Amritsar registered the lowest turnout of 48.55 per cent. The state has about 2.2 crore electors and 5.04 lakh first-time voters.

The counting of votes will take place at 117 centres at 24 locations on June 4.

As many as 328 candidates are in the fray. Prominent among them are BJP nominee and four-time MP Preneet Kaur, who is seeking re-election from the Patiala seat and Shiromani Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a three-time MP who is trying her luck from Bathinda.

In 2019, the state ruling Congress had won eight seats -- Amritsar, Faridkot, Anandpur Sahib, Jalandhar, Khadoor Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala seats -- while the Akali Dal won Bathinda and Ferozepur, and the BJP secured victory from Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur seats. AAP won from Sangrur.

--IANS

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