About 55 per cent turnout was registered till 2 p.m. today in parts of Punjab, where 253 contestants are in the fray for 13 Lok Sabha seats.

Out of 1.95 crore electorate, 55 per cent voters had exercised their franchise till 2 p.m. and the polling has been peaceful so far, an election office spokesman said.

However, minor skirmishes between Akali Dal and Congress workers were reported from Moga, Khadoor Sahib and Amritsar.

At least, ten persons were injured in a clash between Akali and Congress workers at Sangatpura village in Moga, officials said, adding that police intervened and peace was restored in the area.

Union Minister of State Preneet Kaur cast her vote in Patiala, while her husband and Congress candidate from Amritsar Capt Amarinder Singh preferred to stay back at the constituency from where he is in the fray against BJP’s Arun Jaitley. Singh is a registered voter in Patiala from where he is a MLA.

Soaring temperatures in Punjab have not deterred the electors from reaching the polling booths to exercise their franchise as serpentine queues were seen at several places. The polling will end at 6 p.m.

BJP MLA Navjot Kaur, wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, a three-time MP from Amritsar, cast her vote in the holy city.

On Sidhu’s absence from exercising his franchise, she said, “He is very busy today otherwise he does not miss exercising his franchise.”

BJP had replaced Sidhu by leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley from Amritsar. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, Sidhu did not even once visit Amritsar to canvass for Jaitley.

Jaitley, who did not have a vote in Punjab, paid obeisance at Golden temple, and urged people to come out in larger numbers to vote.

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