LIVE: Voting Underway in 40 Municipal Bodies Across Haryana

Polling is going on across Haryana for elections to 40 municipal bodies which includes 9 municipal corporations. The voting will continue until 6PM today. The state has recorded 8.5 % voter turnout until 11 AM, the officials are expecting an increase in number throughout the day. 

Key Politicians Exercise Their Franchise 

Several prominent political figures have already cast their votes. Transport and Electricity Minister Anil Vij visited a polling booth in Shastri Colony, Ambala, to exercise his franchise. Former Chief Minister and current Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cast his vote at a booth in Prem Nagar, Karnal, while Union Minister of State Krishna Pal Gurjar voted at a polling center in Sector 28.

In another notable appearance, Jannayak Janta Party's National President Ajay Chautala arrived with his wife Naina Chautala to cast their votes. Additionally, Savitri Jindal, known as India's wealthiest female legislator who represents Hisar as an independent but now supports the BJP government in the state, also participated in the electoral process. 

EVM Controversies and Technical Issues

The elections have not been without incident. In Siwan Municipality, a major dispute erupted at highly sensitive booth number 6 over allegations that someone had applied ink on the EVM in an attempt to favor the BJP candidate. Reports indicate that a polling agent was prevented from inspecting the machine when they tried to verify its condition. 

Technical difficulties were also reported in Rohtak's Ward 16, where an EVM at the Bharatiya Kanya School polling booth malfunctioned. A voter named Shami reported that the first two machines brought to the booth were found to be defective, and a third machine was not immediately available, causing delays in voting. Officials have since replaced the faulty machine, and voting has resumed. 

Slow Turnout in Some Districts 

Faridabad is experiencing a particularly slow voting pace. By 10 AM, less than 3% of votes had been cast, with only 43,347 out of 1,470,687 registered voters having exercised their franchise. Observers attribute the low turnout to the Sunday holiday, with voters expected to arrive later in the day. Candidates are finding it challenging to mobilize voters to polling stations. 

Colorful Incidents from Across the State

The elections have also witnessed some unusual incidents. In Gurugram's Sarai Alawardi booth, an intoxicated individual caused a disturbance after casting his vote by demanding to vote again and repeatedly attempting to approach the EVM. Police intervened and removed him from the premises.

In a heartwarming moment highlighting democratic participation across generations, a 110-year-old elderly woman named Chandi Devi arrived to cast her vote in Ismailabad, demonstrating the enthusiasm for the democratic process even among the eldest citizens. 

Election Scale and Security 

More than 55 Lakh voters are eligible to participate in these municipal elections which includes 24 lakh women, 27 lakh men and 184 voters from other category. 5,126 polling stations have been established across Haryana out of which 393 centers are marked as sensitive and 531 as highly sensitive. 

The State Election Commission has implemented robust security measures, particularly at the sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations, to ensure free and fair elections.