Gurpreet Singh :- Voting for municipal elections is underway across Punjab on Tuesday, with voters turning out enthusiastically despite intense heatwave conditions prevailing in several districts. Polling is being held for eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 20 nagar panchayats, where long queues were witnessed outside polling stations since morning.
Amid the civic polls, several prominent political leaders exercised their franchise at their respective polling booths. BJP working president and MLA Ashwani Sharma cast his vote in Pathankot, while AAP MLA Sherry Kalsi voted in Batala. Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer participated in the polling process in Barnala.
Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring drew attention after arriving at a polling booth in Muktsar on a bullock cart along with his wife Amrita Warring. Speaking to mediapersons, Warring said the symbolic gesture was meant to protest against the repeated increase in petrol and diesel prices by the Central Government.
He alleged that fuel prices had been increased by nearly Rs 7 despite a decline in international crude oil prices. According to Warring, the common public has not received any benefit from the fall in global crude rates, while inflation continues to burden households across the country.
The Congress leader further claimed that transportation costs and prices of essential commodities have risen sharply due to the fuel hike. He said people were already struggling with inflation and demanded an immediate rollback of the recent increase in petrol and diesel prices.
Despite the soaring temperatures and heatwave alerts issued in parts of Punjab, voters, including women, elderly citizens and first-time voters, continued to participate actively in the democratic process throughout the day.
