03 August,2009 11:16 AM IST | | IANS
Polling for by-elections to the Jalalabad, Kahnuwan and Banur assembly seats in Punjab began on Monday morning.
Voters started arriving at several rural polling booths early in the day. About 20-25 per cent voting was reported in the first couple of hours in all three seats.
The by-election in the Jalalabad seat in Ferozepur district is crucial for the ruling Akali Dal as its president Sukhbir Singh Badal is seeking election from this seat.
Badal junior had to resign as Punjab deputy chief minister last month after he failed to fulfil the constitutional requirement of getting elected to the assembly within six months of being sworn in as deputy chief minister in his father Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's government.
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Badal junior faces competition from former minister and Congress candidate Hans Raj Josan even though the Akali Dal is sure of his victory by a huge margin.
In the Banur assembly seat near Chandigarh, Akali Dal Jasjit Singh 'Bunny' is pitted against Deepinder Singh Dhillon of the Congress.
Bunny's father and former Punjab cooperation minister Kanwaljit Singh, a respected Akali leader, had represented the Banur seat in Mohali district till his death in a road accident March this year.
There are a total of 21 candidates in the fray for the by-election in these three assembly seats. Counting of votes will take place Thursday.
