Punjab Panchayat Polls: Nomination Filing Turns Violent As AAP, Congress Workers Clash, Ex-MLA Injured

In Ferozepur, a clash between AAP and Congress workers during panchayat election nomination filing left former Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira injured when a stone hit his face.

Ferozepur, Oct 1 (PTI) Former Zira MLA Kulbir Singh Zira was injured during a clash between AAP and Congress workers here on Tuesday when he was heading to file nomination papers for panchayat elections in Punjab, officials said.

Police had to fire several rounds in the air and used water cannons to disperse them.

The incident occurred when Kulbir, who is the Congress' district president, along with party workers was going to the nomination centre for the October 15 panchayat elections in the state.

As they reached near the centre, a clash erupted between the AAP and Congress workers during which the supporters of both parties pelted stones at each other. In the melee, a stone hit Kulbir on his face injuring him.

Enraged over the incident, Congress workers raised slogans against the AAP government.

"When I came out from the house with my supporters to reach the nomination centre, police tried to stop us at several places.

"Later the AAP workers attacked the Congress workers who had been accompanying me," Kulbir claimed. He also alleged that the police administration was supporting the AAP workers only.

Naresh Kataria, AAP MLA from Zira, said it was the Congress workers who were carrying sticks and baseball bats. They attacked the AAP workers and pelted stones, he alleged.

Senior Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra said the police tried to control the situation in the best possible way.

"The entire incident has been recorded on camera. Who pelted stone on whom first, is a matter of investigation and police were verifying all the aspects. The FIR will be lodged after the preliminary investigations", said Mishra.

Elections to gram panchayats will be held on October 15.

According to the election schedule, the last date for filing nomination papers is October 4. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on October 5 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 7.

Votes will be counted on the same day at the polling station itself. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)