Polling underway in municipal body elections in Haryana

Chandigarh:Polling is underway on Sunday in elections to municipal bodies in Haryana amid tight security and adherence to coronavirus norms.

Polls opened at 8 am and will continue till 5:30 pm.

The polls are being held to elect the mayors and members of all the wards of Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat municipal corporations; and the president and members of Municipal Council of Rewari, Municipal Committee, Sampla (Rohtak), Dharuhera (Rewari) and Ukalana (Hisar).

Bye-elections for ward numbers 7 of Municipal Committee, Indri (Karnal), 13 of Bhuna (Fatehabad), 12 of Rajound (Kaithal), 14 of Municipal Council, Fatehabad and ward number 29 of Municipal Council, Sirsa are also being held.

Poll officials said elaborate arrangements have been made for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections. Adequate police force has been deployed to maintain law and order at the polling stations and in sensitive and hypersensitive areas, they said.

The results will be out on December 30.

The polls are witnessing a direct fight between the BJP-JJP combine and the Congress.

Earlier this month, the Indian National Lok Dal had announced to boycott the municipal polls in protest against the "atrocities" allegedly committed on farmers by the Centre and the state's BJP-JJP governments.

According to the Haryana State Election Commission, COVID-19 patients who are quarantined will be allowed to cast their vote at the last hour at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities, strictly following COVID-19 related preventive measures.