Punjab civic body polls: Farmers protest against farm laws in Amritsar's Ward number 37

Farmers on Sunday raised slogans and protested against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the new farm laws as the polling for the civic body elections in Punjab were underway in Ward number 37 of Amritsar.

Polling for 117 local bodies including eight municipal corporations and 109 municipal councils and nagar panchayats is underway in Punjab.

Sonu Mahal, a farmer present during the protests said, "Today, during the local body elections in Amritsar, we are protesting against the BJP. A large number of our farmer brothers are riding on bikes and arriving in ward number 37 to participate in the protests."

"The BJP government is not taking back the new farm laws. So today we will not allow the BJP booths to be set up on election day and we shall oppose wherever the party's booths are installed," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria who had arrived to cast his vote at a polling booth said, "Even the British are opposing the BJP because the farmers are the backbone of our economy and the whole country is with the farmers. The Congress stands in solidarity with the farmers."

The polling for Punjab civic body elections began at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm.

Bathinda recorded the highest voters' turnout with 48.42 per cent polling till 12 pm on Sunday.Ludhiana's Sahiwal Nagar witnessed 20 per cent voter's turnout till 10 am while the polling percentage in Ludhiana's Jagraon was 13 per cent.

The voters' turnout in Ludhiana' Payal was recorded at 14.6 per cent till 10 am.

The voting trend at Jalandhar Municipal Corporation was 14 per cent while it was 22.62 per cent in Nihal Singh Wala in Moga district.

The counting of votes will take place on February 17 while the results of the polls will be declared on February 20.

( With inputs from ANI )