Punjab panchayat elections marred by violence and criminal influence

The recently concluded Panchayat elections in Punjab on October 15, 2024, revealed a slew of unusual incidents, violent clashes, and criminal elements influencing the poll outcomes.

- TARUNI GANDHI

From teachers becoming targets of mob violence to a notorious gangster's father being elected as a Sarpanch, the elections have been far from ordinary.

As the counting of votes began late Tuesday, tensions quickly escalated in several districts across Punjab.

Teachers deployed on poll duty became the victims of violence, with disturbing videos surfacing, showing polling staff hiding under tables, pleading for rescue, and sending out distress calls as chaotic mobs disrupted the election process.

In districts such as Ludhiana, Mansa, and Patiala, teachers alleged that they were left to fend for themselves without adequate security. Many were attacked with stones, and some even sustained injuries while trying to complete their duties amidst the chaos. A teacher from Mansa, who suffered a head injury requiring three stitches, recounted his ordeal. He described how his bus was ambushed by a violent mob pelting stones, breaking all the bus windows as they attempted to leave the counting centre.

"I am the only son of my parents, and had I lost my life during this duty, who would have taken care of my elderly parents?" he said.

Videos from Ludhiana's Dakha village showed polling staff hiding under tables as gunfire erupted outside.

In one of the videos, a teacher could be heard saying, "We are all lying on the floor. Many shots have been fired." In Patiala's Shergarh village, polling was delayed till midnight, and female teachers posted over 100 kilometers from their homes found themselves on unsafe roads late into the night.