A major controversy erupted in Ward No. 4 of the Bhucho Mandi Municipal Council following the voting process, specifically during the transfer of ballot boxes to the strong room for deposition. The scene descended into chaos after an alleged attempt was made to unload an election box from a bus and place it into a car. An irate mob of people severely beat the two individuals who were unloading the box and also smashed the front windshield of a police vehicle. During the incident, supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate for Ward No. 4—Bantu, alias Bunty Kumar—staged a protest. Women constituted a significant portion of the protesters. The supporters surrounded the police vehicle, inside which the police had seated the two individuals for their safety. As the atmosphere grew tense, the police summoned additional reinforcements to bring the situation under control and disperse the crowd.
Bathinda SP Narendra Singh and SP (H) Jagdish Bishnoi, who arrived at the scene, attempted to defuse the situation. Accompanied by the Akali candidate Bantu, the officials proceeded to safely deposit the election box into the strong room.
Bantu’s supporters alleged that, sensing their candidate’s imminent victory, the opposing faction was conspiring to swap the election box—a plot which the public successfully foiled. Following this incident, other Akali Dal candidates have also expressed concerns regarding the election process.
They have demanded that the district administration conduct the vote counting with complete transparency and impartiality to prevent the emergence of any further disputes. A tense atmosphere prevailed in the area following the incident, while the police have tightened security arrangements.
