A total of 1,74,437 voters will exercise their franchise during the voting for the Ludhiana West by-election to be held on June 19.
Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Himanshu Jain said that the administration has set up 192 polling stations at 66 locations to facilitate voting. The voter population includes 89,602 males, 84,825 females and 10 persons identified as third gender in the Ludhiana West assembly. Apart from this, the voters include 100 service voters, 2,039 senior citizens, 2,896 young voters (18-19 years of age), 17 foreign voters and 1,234 persons with disabilities (PWD).
The administration will set up 10 model polling booths to enhance the voting experience. These include one managed by women, one by PWD staff and one eco-friendly “green” polling booth. Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm. Counting of votes is scheduled for June 23, 2025.
The notification for the by-election has been issued today as per the election schedule. The last date for filing nominations is June 2 and scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on June 3. The last date for withdrawal of papers by candidates is June 5. Polling will be held on June 19 from 7 am to 6 pm with counting to be held on June 23.
Nominations will be accepted between 11 am and 3 pm. Only five persons including the candidate will be allowed during the process of filing nominations. The candidate should be a registered voter in any constituency within the state. A security deposit of Rs. 10,000 for general category candidates and Rs. 5,000 for SC/ST candidates is to be deposited before or during filing of nomination. A certified copy of the electoral roll is mandatory along with the nomination form for candidates from outside Ludhiana. One proposer is required for recognised parties while ten are required for independent and unrecognised parties.
Jain further said that the maximum limit of election expenses for an assembly constituency has been fixed at Rs 40 lakh. Apart from this, any election expenditure exceeding Rs 10,000 by candidates or political parties should be made using cross account cheque, draft, RTGS, NEFT, or any other electronic mode linked to the candidate’s bank account opened for election purposes. The rates for each election item have been fixed by the Election Commission. Several Flying Squad Teams (FST), Static Surveillance Teams (SST), Video Surveillance Teams (VST) and Video Viewing Teams (VVT) have already been formed to help in monitoring the election campaign.
The District Election Officer also informed that the Election Commission of India has developed the Candidate App facility which allows candidates and political parties to designate public places for meetings and rallies. The application can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and helps users track their nomination and permission status. Apart from this, the “Know Your Candidate” (KYC) app has also been developed to inform voters about the criminal background of candidates.
Jain stressed on the administration’s commitment to ensure a peaceful and transparent election process so that all voters can exercise their democratic rights without any hindrance. He also directed all the implementing agencies to strictly follow the Model Code of Conduct. Stating that in case of any violation within the district, strict action will be taken as per the Election Commission’s guidelines.
The District Election Officer directed the officials to remove all political posters and hoardings from public properties under the jurisdiction of Ludhiana West Vidhan Sabha. He also informed that 24×7 CCTV surveillance of liquor factories, bottling plants, godowns and warehouses will be ensured to prevent unauthorized distribution of liquor and emphasis has been laid on continuous surveillance of liquor vends and thorough inspection of vacant houses, plots and flats near them which could be used for storing illicit liquor.
Jain reiterated the district administration’s commitment to uphold the Election Commission guidelines, promote transparent and fair election process. He sought cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the by-election.
