Punjab Assembly Election Result 2022, Punjab Election 2022 Vote Counting: After months of canvassing, bickering and in-fighting, the moment of truth has arrived for the people of Punjab. The Election Commission of India is set to announce the Punjab Assembly Election Results 2022 tomorrow. From political parties to the general public, all eyes will be on the results as it would show whether the exit polls were right or not. It should be noted that almost all major exit polls have predicted a landslide victory for the Aam Aadmi Party. If the March 7 forecasts actualise into reality, Punjab will see AAP’s Bhagwant Mann as its new Chief Minister.
In the run-up to the assembly results, the Election Commission is leaving no stone unturned in terms of security of the electronic voting machines or EVMs. Latest reports say that around 50 companies of the paramilitary forces have been deployed at all the counting centres in Punjab. Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer S Karna Raju has said that all returning officers have also been given special training for the smooth counting process and error-free results. In a new development, the Chief Electoral Officer has ordered Section 144 across all districts of Punjab. This means that crowding will be completly banned outside the counting centres. Due to the Covid protocols that are still in force, all counting centres have been ordered to follow social distancing. Only 14 tables have been allowed at each of the counting centres.
The counting will begin at 8 am on March 10, the Election Commission has said. The official data by the poll panel suggests that out of the 117 Assembly seats in Punjab, 116 constituencies witnessed a marked decline in the turnout. When compared to the 2017 numbers, the 2022 Punjab Assembly Elections witnessed 5 per cent drop in the voting on 116 seats. The voting for these 117 seats was held on February 20 last month. The original date of February 14 was rescheduled by the Election Commission on the request by all political parties on the account of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. On March 10, the fate of 1304 candidates will be announced. While almost all exit polls have predicted a clear victory for AAP, it would be interesting to see key fights at Chamkaur Sahib and Amritsar East where incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu are contesting.