Voting begins in Punjab amid tight security

Voting began in all 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab on Saturday to decide the next government in the state

Chandigarh: Voting began in all 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab on Saturday to decide the next government in the state.

Voting commenced at 8 a.m. and will continue till evening.

Tight security arrangements were in place across Punjab and the state's borders with neighbouring states were sealed.

There are 22,600 polling stations in Punjab.

Over 1.98 crore electors will decide the fate of 1,145 candidates, including 81 women and a lone transgender candidate.

Voting for the by-election to the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat is also being held on Saturday.

The counting of votes will take place on March 11.

The main contest is among the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, which has been in power in Punjab since 2007, the Congress and the new entrant - Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

For the first time, Punjab is witnessing three-cornered contests on all the 117 assembly seats.

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