Assembly elections 2017: Mostly peaceful polling sees 83% voter turnout in Goa and 70% in Punjab

While a man collapsed in queue while polling in Goa, another sustained a bullet injury in a clash between two political parties in Punjab.

Punjab Assembly election — In picture: A BJP candidate along with his family members show forefingers marked with phosphorus ink after casting their vote at a polling station during Punjab Legislative Assembly in Amritsar, on February 4, 2017.IANS

Polling passed off mostly peacefully and without much event in both Punjab and Goa, with tight security and meticulous planning in both states contributing to smooth electoral procedure. Goa saw a record voter turnout of 83 percent and around 70 percent of the electorate turned out for polling in Punjab.

Also read: Punjab and Goa elections 2017: Here are 5 top candidates to watch out for in the upcoming Assembly polls

In Goa

Goa saw polling start at 6 am, with the procedure ending at 4 pm. Election Commission of India (ECI) officials, after the closing of polls, said in a press conference: "For the first time, 100 percent use of electronically transmitted postal ballot system was conducted in Goa." They added that voting at polling station 8 at the Margao constituency in South Goa saw faulty procedure being followed, as a result of which a repoll has been ordered for Sunday. The EVI will take a final decision on it.

The EC officials also said that there was one booth in the state managed completely by differently-abled people – a move that should ring true with the steps Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken for people he chooses to refer to as Divyang. Another booth in the state was decorated in pink to encourage women to come out and vote.

Meanwhile, Rs 2.24 crore cash, more than 75,000 litres of alcohol worth more than Rs 1 crore, and six kg of narcotics worth Rs 34.22 lakh were seized in the state, which also saw a death while polling was underway. A 78-year-old man named Leslie Saldanha collapsed at the Mary Immaculate School polling station in Panjim. He was rushed to hospital, where he died.

In Punjab

Polling in Punjab got off to a mostly smooth start at 7 am, but some polling booths saw electronic voting machines (EVMs) malfunctioning, which delayed voting there. The total voter turnout was around 70 percent, with the poll panel saying an accurate figure would emerge only later.

A total of Rs 58.02 crore cash, 12.43 lakh litres of alcohol worth Rs 13.34 crore, and 2,598 kg of narcotics worth Rs 18.26 crore were seized in the state. There was also an untoward incident, when supporters of two parties clashed in the Lalu Ghuman village of Tarn Taran. The clash saw some gunfire, with one person being injured. ECI officials said an FIR had been lodged in this regard and the main accused detained.