Jalandhar4 hours ago
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BJP leader Sarabjit Singh Makkar stopping Ludhiana East’s AAP MLA Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola (in blue turban) from Jalandhar Cantt during voting on Wednesday.
The Election Commission (EC) and the district administration seem to be refraining from taking action against 5 out of 6 MLAs from the outer districts of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who were present during the polling on Wednesday in the by-election for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat. Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) claimed that AAP MLA Dalbir Singh Toung in Shahkot was booked and released on bail. But Tong’s name is not there in the FIR registered by the police.
The state’s main opposition party, the Congress, has questioned the Election Commission and the Jalandhar district administration over the absence of the MLA’s name in the FIR. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa said that videos and photos of AAP MLAs went viral. The Congress also complained, but the name of the MLA was not mentioned in the FIR registered by the police in one case. This FIR was registered against an unknown person. However, the police officials claimed to have registered a case against the MLA, arrested him and then released him on bail from the police station.
The Congress said that the police, making a mockery of law and order, drove the MLA from outside.
In the FIR registered at Jalandhar’s Shahkot police station, the name of AAP MLA from Baba Bakala seat Dalbir Singh Toung is not there. Tong’s vehicle was caught by Congress MLA Hardev Singh Ladi himself in Shahkot area. Tong was present in his car at the time.
MLA of Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jaito broke the law
These MLAs include AAP MLA Dalbir Singh Toung of Baba Bakala seat in Amritsar district, MLA Amritsar Central Ajay Gupta, MLA Amritsar West Dr. Jasbir Singh Sandhu, MLA Amolak Singh from Jaito seat of Faridkot, MLA Ludhiana East Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola. and Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi.
After the video of Shahkot area, the police administration arrested Toung, but no action was taken against him despite the photo-videos of other MLAs present at different booths in Jalandhar itself. Tong also got bail from the police station itself.
What are the rules of Election Commission
As per the rules of the Election Commission (EC), all outsiders have to leave the concerned area with the end of campaigning 48 hours before the polling. After campaigning stopped in Jalandhar as well, the commission asked people from other parts of the state to leave the Lok Sabha constituency. Checking campaigns were carried out by putting blockades on all the roads. Despite this, 5-5 MLAs of the ruling party kept roaming in the Lok Sabha constituency during polling and none of the observers of the Election Commission could see them.
Apart from the MLAs, many office bearers of AAP’s outlying districts were also seen around the booths during polling. BJP claimed that it has complained to the State Election Commission against AAP MLA Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola. The Chief Electoral Officer, however, denied having received any complaint from the BJP. Yes, the Election Commission has definitely received a complaint from the Congress.
See photos of 5 AAP MLAs who were present in Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency during polling
Congress MLA from Shahkot Hardev Singh Ladi surrounded the car of AAP MLA Dalbir Singh Toung from Baba Bakala seat of Amritsar district who was roaming in Roopewal village of Shahkot area falling in Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency.
AAP’s MLA from Ludhiana West Gurpreet Gogi distributes slips while sitting at a booth in Jalandhar Cantt during the bypoll to Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday.
AAP MLA from Amritsar West seat Dr. Jasbir Singh Sandhu sits at a booth along with Congress candidate Sushil Rinku in Jalandhar West Assembly Constituency during voting on Wednesday.
AAP MLA from Amritsar Central Assembly seat Ajay Gupta sits with party leaders during polling in Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency.
Jaitan MLA Amolak Singh and his supporters at a booth during the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll
Only one MLA came in the commission’s verification
Talking to the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab, C. Sibban, he said that an AAP MLA had come for the verification of the Commission. Action was taken against him. On the question related to BJP’s complaint, Sibban said that only one complaint of Congress has come to him.
He sidestepped a question on action taken against the Jalandhar district administration for failing to stop outsiders from entering the Lok Sabha constituency. When asked whether this is not a lapse of the administration? So he said that action has been taken on what came in the verification.
On the question related to the entry of 5 MLAs into the area, the Chief Electoral Officer said that only one complaint had come to him, after which a proper announcement was made in the area that the outsiders should leave the area.
“We came to get seeds,” said an AAP office bearer arrested in Phillaur
During the voting for Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, a video of Phillaur area has also surfaced. This video is about the arrest of two office bearers of AAP roaming near the polling booth by the Congress leaders. Both of them were wearing yellow turbans. In the video, Phillaur’s Congress MLA Vikramjit Chowdhary is asking both of them what they are doing in this area. On this a young man says that he had come here to buy seeds. When MLA Chaudhary asked which seed? So the young man said – wheat seed.
The Congress MLA said that wheat harvesting has just taken place and this is not the season for wheat sowing. On this the other youth said that his aunt lives here and he had come to visit his relatives.