Punjab saw a voter turnout of 61.32 per cent as all its 13 seats went to polls on Saturday in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections, while about 68 per cent of electors exercised their franchise in the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency.

Traditional musical instruments like 'tumbi', 'dhadd', 'chimta', 'bugchu', 'dhol' and 'dilruba' were also showcased.

"We have decided not to vote as our demands have gone unheard," he said, adding that students are not able to study as there is no internet connectivity and several students dropped out of school during lockdown due to the Covid pandemic.

The incident took place on Friday night when a group of people were sitting outside a house, Ajnala police station SHO Balbir Singh said, adding two bike-borne assailants came suddenly and opened indiscriminate fire on the gathering. 

Polling is being held for four Lok Sabha seats and six Assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh today.

The AAP, Congress, SAD, BJP, BSP, and the SAD (Amritsar) are contesting in all the constituencies of Punjab. However, the Congress and the AAP have allied in Chandigarh. 

Lok Sabha elections are being held today, June 1, for Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh, with voters heading to the polls to choose their representatives.

As the Lok Sabha elections 2024 near their conclusion, the Congress party has decided to refrain from participating in debates on exit polls, scheduled to begin on June 1. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera made this announcement, stating that the party does not find it necessary to engage in "speculation and slugfest for TRP."

Himachal CM Sukhu said, “It's not an ordinary election in Himachal, it's between honesty and dishonesty and will set the course of future politics in the hill state.”

Preparations for the Lok Sabha election vote counting on June 4 are underway in Delhi, with plans to install large screens at various locations in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency.

The total number of voters in Punjab is 2,14,61,739 comprising 1,12,86,726 male voters and 1,01,74,240 female voters, 773 transgender voters, 1,58,718 PwD (Persons with Disabilities) voters, and 1,614 NRI (Non-Resident Indian) voters.  

In his debut contest, Dr Rajiv Bharadwaj, 62, of the BJP is taking on Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma in the parliamentary seat made up of 13 assembly segments of HP's Kangra district and four of Chamba district.