Panchkula, May 11 -- Panchkula recorded a moderate voter turnout of 53% this time, slightly lower than the 54% recorded in the last municipal elections in 2020. This was revealed in the provisional figures released by polling authorities late Sunday evening. This time, six candidates, including two Independents, were in the race for the coveted mayor's post while 87 were vying for 20 councillor's seats. Polling kicked off at 8 am and remained largely peaceful though isolated incidents of commotion and inconveniences to voters were reported from some parts of the city. Out of 2,07,444 eligible voters, 1,10,702 cast their votes across 204 polling booths. The highest turnout of 90.53% was recorded at Government Primary School, Jaswantgarh in Ward 19, followed closely by 90.05% at Government Girls Primary School, Toka in Ward 20. The lowest turnout of 22.21% was reported at Little Flower Convent School, Sector 14. Voting trends showed higher participation from villages and colony areas, while turnout remained comparatively low in several city sectors, including parts of Mansa Devi Complex. While long queues were seen at several booths till around 11 am, the pace slowed by afternoon. Congress mayoral candidate Sudha Bhardwaj said residents of city sectors generally show less interest in municipal elections. She added that many families have settled abroad, while some elderly voters avoid stepping out due to age-related issues. She also said the prevailing heat conditions may have affected voter turnout. Bhardwaj, however, expressed confidence that Congress would perform well in the elections. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mayoral candidate Shyam Lal Bansal said many sector residents stay outside Panchkula, in cities such as Gurugram and Bengaluru, due to work commitments. He further said the voter list had not been fully updated and still contained names of deceased persons. Bansal claimed the BJP would secure a comprehensive victory. Deputy commissioner and district election officer Satpal Sharma said the administration had run an extensive awareness campaign to encourage voting, though reasons for the lower turnout could not be immediately determined. Returning officer Sanyam Garg said polling remained peaceful, all electronic voting machines (EVMs) functioned properly, and no untoward incident was reported. However, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) mayoral candidate Manoj Aggarwal claimed an EVM in Sector 19 developed a temporary glitch, though officials said voting was unaffected. During polling, a brief commotion broke out at a Sector 15 booth after party workers alleged a voter had cast his vote twice. Police intervened and restored order, while election officials denied the allegation. A separate heated exchange was also reported between police personnel and party workers at a polling station in Sector 17. Ninety-nine-year-old Prabh Dayal, a resident of Sector 15, inspired many by arriving to vote in his personal wheelchair with family members. Despite age-related difficulty in speaking, the retired Chandigarh government employee participated enthusiastically. Despite official claims of heightened security and interstate checkpoints, police personnel were found absent at some naka points, including the Zirakpur-Kalka highway and Chandimandir-Housing Board road. According to police, 1,535 personnel had been deployed for election duty. Mayoral candidates also cast their votes and toured wards during polling. BJP's Shyam Lal Bansal voted in Sector 2, Congress candidate Sudha Bhardwaj in Sector 6, INLD's Manoj Aggarwal in Sector 21, and AAP's Rajesh Kumar in Budhanpur village, Sector 16. Heavy crowds were seen in colonies and villages, while youths on two-wheelers without helmets were also noticed near some polling stations. BJP help booths saw comparatively larger footfall in several wards, though Congress, AAP, INLD, and Independent candidates also maintained active presence. All eyes are now on May 13 when the counting of votes will take place. AMBALA SEES 54% TURNOUT, POLLING PEACEFUL P2...