Polling for urban local bodies (ULBs) elections in Punjab on Tuesday witnessed incidents of violence, clashes, and detentions in several districts, including Ludhiana, Patiala, Barnala, Sangrur, Bathinda, and Faridkot.

The most serious incidents were reported from Ludhiana’s Raikot and Patiala district’s Samana, where municipal council elections were underway. In Raikot, unidentified assailants attacked Congress candidate Jagdev Singh Gill alias Jagga, from ward 4, with swords. He was rushed to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana, where he underwent surgery, the Ludhiana Rural Police said. His condition is stated to be stable.

Murad Jasvir Singh, Raikot DSP, however, said it was a “pre-poll incident” that happened “before voting started at 8 am.” The officer said that the attack was linked to an earlier clash that happened on Monday between AAP and Congress workers.

“We had immediately dispersed both groups when they had clashed on Monday evening, but AAP worker Binderjeet was injured, and an FIR was registered at Raikot city police station. Jagga was one of the accused in the FIR. This morning, before polling started, some unidentified people opened an attack on Jagga with swords near Swarajpur village. His statement has been recorded, and action will be taken accordingly,” said the DSP.

Tension also prevailed in Jagraon where Congress accused local AAP MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke of entering polling booths in ward number 1. Later, former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu also reached there.

‘Gangsters, political goons roaming freely’: Congress

The Congress has, meanwhile, alleged that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had a hand in the “cowardly” attack on Gill. In a post on X, Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana Lok Sabha MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the brutal attack exposes the complete collapse of law and order under the Bhagwant Mann government.

“Gangsters and political goons are roaming freely while the government is busy with ads and reels. If election candidates are unsafe, imagine the condition of common people in Punjab…. We will not allow fear and violence to silence our workers. Congress will continue to fight for the people of Punjab against this jungle raj. I demand immediate arrest of all accused and strict action against those behind this cowardly attack.”

Kamil Singh, Congress’s Raikot constituency in-charge and son of Lok Sabha MP Amar Singh, stated that the attack on Gill was orchestrated by aides of AAP’s local MLA Hakam Singh Thekedar. “His aide Binderjeet Singh, who is also a truck union leader, opened an attack on our candidate with swords. He has undergone surgery at DMCH and is in a serious condition. The police have assured us that all the accused will be held; otherwise, we will protest if the police fail to do so,” he said

Senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Randhawa stated that the incident in Raikot was an attack on democracy. “We strongly condemn this cowardly incident. We appeal to @ECISVEEP to take immediate action in this matter.. @BhagwantMann ji, does your party want to bring such dirty and violent politics to Punjab? Will elections now be won by intimidating and attacking opposition candidates? The people of Punjab will surely give a befitting reply to this thuggery,” he shared on X.

Heavy stone pelting in Patiala

Clashes also broke out in wards 19, 15, 14, and 10 of Samana in Patiala during polling.

In ward number 19, rival groups allegedly indulged in heavy stone pelting on a road near the polling area. The police personnel intervened to disperse the crowd and were also seen resorting to cane charge and even stone pelting amid the chaos.

Outside a polling booth in ward number 14,  in Samana, supporters of the AAP, BJP, and Congress allegedly clashed in the presence of police security. Visuals from the spot showed heated scuffles among workers of different political parties before police brought the situation under control.

Similar clashes were also reported from wards 10 and 15 of Samana. BJP leaders alleged that the ruling AAP had brought “outsiders” into the constituency to create tension as it feared defeat in the civic polls.

In Barnala, Jasvir Singh, husband of BJP candidate Deepinder Kaur from ward number 15, was allegedly assaulted on Tuesday morning. Jasvir Singh alleged that supporters of the AAP were behind the attack.

BJP leader Onkar Singh detained

In Dhuri, the constituency represented by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Sangrur police detained BJP leader Onkar Singh, a former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister, who had joined the BJP earlier this year.

Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu criticised the action and alleged political vendetta.

“They have arrested Onkar Singh. They should arrest me instead of targeting our workers. If they are so rattled even in the Chief Minister’s constituency, what else can be expected? Even during nomination filing, papers of several BJP candidates from Dhuri were rejected,” Bittu alleged.

Bittu himself was stopped by the police from entering Dhuri. Temporary barricades were placed on the main road by Sangrur police to prevent his entry into the constituency.

In Bathinda, firing was reported outside the residence of an independent candidate during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The candidate is believed to be associated with the camp of Bathinda Urban AAP MLA Jagroop Singh Gill.

Gill reached the spot shortly after the incident and alleged that supporters of his party colleague Amarjeet Mehta were behind the firing.

Sandeep Sherry, whose wife is contesting as an independent candidate from ward number 3, alleged that unidentified persons opened fire outside his house around 1.30 am.

“For the past several days, Amarjeet Mehta had been pressuring us to withdraw my wife’s nomination papers. We demand a fair inquiry and strict action,” he alleged.

Reports of clashes between SAD and AAP workers also emerged from Gidderbaha, while in Raikot, Congress leader Jagdev Singh Jagga was allegedly attacked in ward number 4. Jagga accused AAP workers of involvement in the incident. He was later admitted to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana.

In Fatehgarh Sahib, a BJP candidate was reportedly arrested after liquor was allegedly recovered from his possession.

In Abohar, police intercepted a vehicle bearing a Haryana registration number near polling booths and detained four youngsters.

AAP-BJP, AAP-SAD clashes in Faridkot

Faridkot too witnessed tensions during polling, with clashes reported between AAP and BJP workers as well as between AAP and SAD supporters at different locations.

Despite sporadic violence and political allegations, polling continued under tight security arrangements across the state.

Raspinder Singh, returning officer of Samana municipal council, said, “The polling went smoothly wherever there was a nuisance. The police  maintained law and order.”

Meanwhile, in Faridkot, heated arguments broke out between BJP leader Sunny Brar and AAP MLA Gurditt Singh Sekhon, after Sekhon alleged that the BJP used the Army’s vehicle to bring voters to the polling booths.

The BJP, however, denied the allegations, saying that voters from the Faridkot Army cantonment area themselves were travelling in the vehicle because of scorching heat.