2.7 crore electorate to decide the fate of 278 candidates on Sunday in Punjab
Punjab is all set to witness the most sacred epic battle of democracy on Sunday with Election Commission making all arrangements to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in the state. Over 20781211 electorate would decide the fate of 278 candidates in 13 constituencies. 23,213 polling stations have been established and 42689 ballet units, 28703 VVPAT are being used in this election.394780 first time voters would exercise their right of franchise this time. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri are among the 278 candidates including 24 women whose fate will be decided in Punjab on Sunday. Besides Punjab, more than 6 lakh voters in the union territory of Chandigarh will choose between sitting MP and BJP candidate Kirron Kher and former railway minister and Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal. Actor turned politician Sunny Deol, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann are among other prominent candidates in the fray. On most of the 13 seats, the contest appears to be a direct fight between the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance. A conglomeration of several political outfits, the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) led by AAP rebel Sukhpal Singh Khaira, is also contesting on all 13 seats while SAD (Taksali), breakaway faction of SAD, has fielded one candidate from Anandpur Sahib. In 2014, the AAP and the SAD had won four seats each, the Congress three and the BJP two.
