27052026-JTR-01.qxd 5/26/2026 10:52 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune CLIMBER FETED FOR SCALING NEPAL’S MT AMA DABLAM Sukhbir Kaur Ball shares her climbing journey through 6,812-m high peak with enthusiasts. P3 » US ACADEMIC HONOUR FOR 50-YEAR-OLD HOSHIARPUR NATIVE HEMA FEELS DHARMENDRA’S PRESENCE AT PADMA HONOUR Vijay Kumar Ratti was recognised with special purple honour cords attached to his graduation cap. P3 BJP MP Hema Malini received the Padma Vibhushan on behalf of her late husband, Dharmendra. P4 » » FORECAST MAINLY CLEAR MAX 42°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 40°C | MIN 22°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.24 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5:25 AM WEDNESDAY | 27 MAY 2026 | JALANDHAR Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh along with his family members after casting his vote in Kapurthala on Tuesday. Ex-MLA and AAP leader Pawan Tinu at Adampur, Jalandhar. A woman on wheelchair at Nawanshahr. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Congress MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary along with his wife Shveta Raj Chaudhary at Phillaur in Jalandhar. First-time voter Muskaan at Banga in Nawanshahr. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Civic polls log 66.67% turnout in Jalandhar dist Nagar Panchayat Lohian Khas sees highest turnout of 71.72% , Mehatpur 68.97% Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, May 26 Polling across seven civic bodies in Jalandhar district averaged about 66.67 per cent till 5 pm on Tuesday. Among the Nagar Panchayat elections, Lohian Khas recorded the highest turnout at 71.72 per cent and Mehatpur with 68.97 per cent. In Municpal Council elections, Nurmahal recorded the highest voter turnout with 69.58 per cent, followed by 65.58 per cent in Nakodar, 65.02 per cent in Kartarpur, 64.59 per cent in Adampur and 61.22 per cent in Phillaur. As many as 133 booths were set up in Adampur, Kartarpur, Nakodar, Nurmahal, Phillaur, Mehatpur and Lohian Khas. Polling was held for five Municipal Councils — Adampur, Kartarpur, Nakodar, Nurmahal and Phillaur — and two Nagar Panchayats, Mehatpur and Lohian Khas. In the Adampur Municipal Council, polling took place for 13 wards where 44 candidates were in the fray. Kartarpur witnessed contests among 50 candidates across 15 wards, while Nakodar had 55 candidates contesting from 17 wards. In Nurmahal, 41 candidates contested from 13 wards, whereas Phillaur saw 57 candidates fighting elections Adampur Missing names leave voters running between booths Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Women stand in a queue to cast their votes during the Municipal Council elections in Adampur, Jalandhar, on Tuesday. PHOTO:MALKIAT SINGH Nurmahal 69.58% | Nakodar65.58% | Kartarpur65% | Adampur64.59% | Phillaur61.22% across 15 wards. Similarly, polling was held for 13 wards each in Mehatpur and Lohian Khas Nagar Panchayats, where 47 candidates contested in both civic bodies. Tension briefly prevailed at Ward No 5 in Adampur shortly before the conclusion of polling for the Municipal Council elections on Tuesday after Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli alleged the presence of unauthorised persons inside Polling Booth No 5 located at the Municipal Council office. The incident took place around 5 pm when the Congress MLA and AAP workers came face-to-face outside the polling booth and raised slogans against each other, leading to the heated exchange. In a video that surfaced on social media, Kotli could be seen arguing with police personnel and questioning the presence of certain individuals inside the booth premises. However, Lal Vishwas Bains, SDM-cum-Returning Officer, Adampur, said, “No unauthorised person was present inside the polling booth. Polling was being conducted under CCTV surveillance and no such entry was possible. Police personnel intervened immediately and the matter was deescalated,” he said. Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli remained unavailable for comment despite repeated calls and messages. The counting of votes for the civic body elections will take place on May 29. Jalandhar, May 26 During the Municipal Council elections in Adampur on Tuesday, several female voters alleged discrepancies in the voter lists, claiming that their votes had been shifted to different wards following the recent delimitation exercise. Many voters complained of being hassled at polling booths after discovering that the names of some of their family members had allegedly been moved to other wards, while others remained listed in their original polling stations. The issue reportedly forced several residents, particularly senior citizens and women, to move from one polling booth to another in the scorching heat to locate their names and cast their votes. Jasvir Kaur, a resident of Ward No 2, highlighting her grievances, said, “She had to visit nearly three polling booths before finally being able to vote. When I reached the polling booth in my area, my name was not there in the list. Officials asked me to check my name at a booth in Ward No 4. In the sweltering heat, I had to visit nearly three booths before I could finally cast my vote.” An elderly voter goes to cast his vote at Adampur. MALKIAT SINGH Another voter Baljit Kaur said, “There are five members in my family. While two of us were able to cast our votes in this ward, the votes of the other three members were shifted to another ward. We had to visit different booths to locate their names, which caused inconvenience,” she said. Meanwhile, officials attributed the confusion to the delimitation of Municipal Council wards in Adampur carried out on December 31 last year. Following the exercise, changes were made in the reservation of seats for general, SC and BC categories in the Municipal Council. Responding to the complaints, Lal Vishwas Bains, SDO-cum-Returning Officer, Adampur, said the changes in ward boundaries may have led to the problem. “The issue arose due to the delimitation of MC wards in Adampur, which changed the jurisdiction of certain voters. During delimitation, an area earlier falling under one ward may have shifted to another, while voter details remained unchanged initially. Draft voter lists were released and objections or corrections were invited. We have made the changes wherever objections were received,” he said. 66.21% cast vote in six Tension after heated arguments between 2 nominees 60.70% votes polled in towns of Hoshiarpur dist Nawanshahr dist Garhdiwala records highest polling percentage at 75.03 Aanksha N Bhardwaj Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, May 26 Polling for the Municipal Council elections across six towns of Hoshiarpur district concluded peacefully on Tuesday with an overall voter turnout of 66.21 per cent. Though minor arguments and allegations were reported from a few polling stations, no major untoward incident took place during the election process. The fate of all candidates has now been sealed in ballot boxes and counting will take place on May 29. According to the final figures released by the election authorities, Garhdiwala recorded the highest polling percentage at 75.03, followed by Hariana with 68.8 per cent, Urmur Tanda 67.07 per cent, Mukerian 65.90 per cent, Garhshankar 65.34 per cent and Dasuya 63.18 per cent. In Garhshankar, voting for 13 wards was conducted at 16 polling stations. Voting remained largely peaceful despite minor clashes report- Voting %age Hariana 68.8 Urmur Tanda 67.07 Mukerian 65.90 Garhshankar65.34 Dasuya 63.18 ed at two booths. CPM leaders alleged that supporters of the ruling party violated election norms by bringing voters to polling stations in vehicles carrying party flags. They also accused influential leaders of using pressure tactics to support their relatives contesting the elections. Despite the allegations, polling continued smoothly. Women and senior citizens participated enthusiastically, with several elderly voters arriving at booths in wheelchairs and with assistance from family members. At the Hariana Municipal Council, polling for 11 wards witnessed strong enthusiasm from the early morning hours. However, many voters faced difficulty locating their names due to revised voter lists, leading to resentment among residents. Leaders of different political parties visited polling booths during the day and expressed confidence about the victory of their candidates. In Urmur Tanda, polling for 15 wards was held peacefully under tight security arrangements. Officials stated that voting remained brisk during the morning and evening hours, while the afternoon witnessed comparatively slower polling due to heat. Around 68 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise. Mukerian also witnessed peaceful polling with enthusiastic participation from the youth and senior citizens. Long queues were seen outside polling stations throughout the day. Leaders from the BJP AAP Congress and Akali , , Dal visited booths, reviewed arrangements and claimed victory for their party candidates. Tribune News Service Nawanshahr , May 26 Voting at a polling booth in Ward No. 13 of Nawanshahr witnessed some tense moments during the Municipal Council elections on Tuesday as independent candidates Paramjit Singh Bakhshi and Makhan Singh Grewal got involved in a heated argument outside the booth amid allegations of influencing voters. Supporters of both parties also gathered at the booth. According to witnesses, the atmosphere around the booth remained tense since morning. The situation escalated around 2 pm when both candidates along with their supporters allegedly exchanged arguments, prompting senior police officials to come and intervene. Both candidates were seen arguing near the polling booth before police personnel separated them and took them away from the voting area to prevent further escalation. Senior police officers c m y b Voters show their cards during the Municipal Council election in Nawanshahr on Tuesday. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH came and remained present at the spot and attempted to pacify both sides. SDM Anamjyot Kaur said the issue was minor and occurred during the normal course of events. “It was resolved in time and everything was fine,” she said. Police officials present at the booth maintained that polling was proceeding peacefully in other areas and that the issue was limited to this particular booth. Deputy Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh said he had also visited the ward earlier in the morning to review polling arrangements and monitor the situation at the sensitive booth. As many as 60.70 per cent voters today exercised their franchise during the Municipal Council elections held amid elaborate arrangements made by the Nawanshahr district administration. DC-cum-District Election Officer Gulpreet Singh Aulakh said the polls for a total of 45 wards of these three councils were held smoothly. Aulakh said the Banga MC witnessed 64.62 per cent polling, the MC, Nawanshahar, witnessed 56.45 per cent and MC, Rahon, recorded 70.58 per cent polling. The elections were held for the 45 wards of three MCs — 15 wards in Banga, 19 wards in Nawanshahar, and 11 wards in Rahon Municipal Council. As many as 148 candidates were in the fray for the elections.