CHANDIGARH: India’s government controlled electronic media the Doordarshan and Al India Radio stated in the afternoon of February to news bullet tins tha”30 to 40% of voters have cast their votes.” Indian home minister S.B, Chavan a week ear Tier had stated that the govern ment would regard 30% turn out of voters as satisfactory. AK the end of the polling on Wednesday Punjab chief secretary: Tejinder Khanna who also heads the sites election department claimed that 28 to 30% voters had exercised their right. But the next day when the actual count stated, the election department officers suddenly decided not to release full results immediately which, they said contrary to past practice, could wait for a day or two. In the meantime most editorial writers came out with their “views” on the Punjab election without, of course, the crucial tally of the poll percentage. Finally, the election department failed to release consolidated analysis of the figures. It was left to individual journalists to total up the votes and tabulate percentages. It turned out that only lite more than 205 of Punjab’s 1,31,69,725 voters had exercised their right of casting votes. As many a5 80% responded (0 the boycott call issued by Panthic Committees and backed by Akali groups.
“The Congress which formed government in Punjab just received a little more than 9% of the states total votes and bagged 87 seats . The Bahujan Samaj Party which came next with 9 seats polled 3.75% votes, BP. with 6 seats got 3.85% and Akali Dal (Longowal) with 3 seats received just 1.1% votes. The C.P.I ., C.P. (M), independents and others together got a little less than 4% of Punjab’s total votes.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 6, 1992
