The present term of SAD-BJP government in Punjab ends on February 16, however it would continue till March 4 till the results of elections are announced.
Chief Electoral Officer Punjab Kusumjit Sidhu said that that after the Final Voter List is to be published throughout the State on 2nd January, 2012, those eligible persons whose name is not present in the voter list will be entitled to get themselves entered as voter after the publication.
EC will set up teams across the State which will ensure random checking of vehicles and remedial action in case of complaints pertaining to expenditure. The teams will be authorized to search the vehicles for cash, liquor or drugs.
Passenger as well as Goods vehicles will be liable to be searched. In case any cash/jewellery of value above Rs. 1 Lakh is found and the person is unable to explain it’s source, it is liable to be seized and handed over to the Income Tax authorities. Banks have also been instructed to report all suspicious cash transactions above Rs.1 Lakh from any account, and these shall be monitored by the Election Department as well as the Income Tax Department. Ec will also keep a check on sale of liquor as the liquor trade in Punjab is mostly controlled by ruling party politicians.
Meanwhile leaders of various parties have welcomed the announcement of election dates.Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal said the SAD-BJP alliance is poised for a massive landslide victory.Badal said the SAD-BJP alliance is set to go past its figure of the 1997 Assembly elections when the two parties had won 67 seats.
"The negative Congress campaign of mudslinging will backfire on them. People want to know what their leaders have done for them and what they will do in future. There is no place for gutter propaganda which the Congress was hoping to rely on," he said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh also welcomed the announcement of elections in Punjab.
State Elections in punjab