Violence Mars Punjab Municipal Elections
Violence erupted during Tuesday's Punjab municipal elections, leaving a Congress candidate with injured limbs in Raikot and a cameraman stabbed in Jagraon. The incidents occurred amid intense political friction across six municipal councils in Ludhiana district, which overshadowed voter turnout.
Attack on Congress Candidate in Raikot
In Raikot, attackers injured the arms and legs of Congress candidate Jagdev Singh Jagga on Tuesday morning. Local Congress official Kamil Amar Singh alleged that loyalists of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Hakam Thekedar orchestrated the targeted assault to sabotage voting. Jagga was taken to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, where his condition has since improved, according to Superintendent of Police Murad Jasvir Singh. In a twist, police revealed that Jagga himself was an accused in a separate local brawl reported the previous evening. Police raids are ongoing, but no arrests have been made so far.
Stabbing Incident in Jagraon
Meanwhile, in Jagraon, a heated argument outside the School of Eminence polling booth escalated into a knife attack. Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu, a local social media commentator and Congress sympathizer, confronted AAP legislator Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, objecting to her presence inside the polling compound. After police intervened to separate them, a gang of youths arrived in an SUV and ambushed Sidhu and his cameraman, Gurveer Singh Virk. During the melee, Sidhu's turban was knocked off and Virk was stabbed. Sidhu publicly accused Manuke of ordering the attack. Speaking to local media, Manuke denied the allegation, claiming Sidhu had hurled verbal abuses at her but she remained calm.
Congress Protests and Allegations
Former state minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu led a street protest for the Congress over the stabbing incident. He alleged that AAP-MLA-backed contestants had police support to intimidate voters and hijack the electoral process. Similar political hostility was reported in Khanna, where police had to intervene outside a polling station to break up an aggressive shouting match between Congress and AAP workers.
Context and Aftermath
The violence flared across six municipal councils in Ludhiana district, where intense political rivalry dampened voter enthusiasm. Authorities are investigating both incidents, but no arrests have been confirmed. The elections, meant to strengthen local governance, were marred by these clashes, raising concerns about political violence in the region.
