Chandigarh: Polling commenced today for by-elections to four assembly constituencies in Haryana (three) and Punjab (one) Bseal the fate of 81 candidates including former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

Police personnel have been deployed in strength in Adampur, Indri and Gohana assembly constituencies in Haryana and Amritsar South assembly seat in Punjab, where the election commission has also deployed personnel of central Para-military personnel.

The by-poll for the three seats in Haryana arose due to the disqualification of sitting MLAs from Adampur, Gohana and Indri Bhajan Lal, Dharam Pal Malik and Rakesh Kamboj respectively under the anti-defection law after they joined the Haryana Janhit Congress -BL (HJC-BL) formed by former Chief Minister's son Kuldeep Bishnoi.

The Amritsar South seat fell vacant due the death of sitting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Raminder Singh Bolaria.

All the eyes are on Adampur assembly seat where Bhajan Lal is seeking re-election though on the nomination of a new party HJC-BL. Th 40 opponents of Bhajan Lal include five other Bhajan Lals.

The 41 candidates for Adampur include Bhajan Lal, former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal's son and INLD Chief Om Parkash Chautala's younger brother Ranjit Singh (Congress), former Finance Minister Sampat Singh (INLD)  and Parbhat Singh (CPIM).

Rakesh Kamboj (HJC-BL), Bhim Sen Mehta (Congress) Ram Kumar Arya (BJP), Ashok Kashyap (INLD) and Zile Singh (CPI) were among the 13 in the  race for the Indri seat in Karnal district. The 23 contestants for Gohana assembly seat in Sonipat district included Dharampal Singh Malik (HJC-BL), former Chairman of Haryana Public Service Commissioner (HPSC), K C Bangar (INLD) and Pardeep Sangwan (BJP).

Inderbir Singh Bolaria (SAD), Navdeep Singh Goldy (Congress), Ram Singh (SAD-Mann) and an Independent Sharanjit Singh were in fray for the Amritsar South seat.

Source : PTI