Braving overcast conditions and winter chill, thousands of voters turned out since early morning to cast their votes.
amid tight security.
Over 200 companies of paramilitary forces were deputed for the fair conduct of polls.
Braving overcast conditions and winter chill, thousands of voters turned out since early morning to cast their votes.
Long queues were seen at most polling stations as voting began in all the assembly constituencies at 8 AM.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded candidates in 94 seats, while its ally BJP has nominated candidates in the remaining 23 seats. Congress is contesting alone on all seats.
AAP, which is contesting the state polls for the first time, has fielded candidates in 112 seats, while its ally Lok Insaf Party, led by Ludhiana-based Bains brothers, has fielded nominees in five seats.
Key contestants who are in the fray include Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh (Patiala and Lambi seats), Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal (Lambi) and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal (Jalalabad).
The other prominent candidates are Congress veteran and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (Lehragagga), Indian Youth Congress chief Raja Amarinder Singh Warring (Gidderbaha), Badal's estranged nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, who is fighting on a Congress ticket from Bathinda Urban, and AAP MP Bhagwant Mann (Jalalabad).
For the Amritsar Lok Sabha by-poll, an estimated 57 per cent polling took place, an election office spokesman said here.
Amritsar Lok Sabha seat fell vacant following the resignation of Amarinder Singh to protest against the apex court verdict on Punjab's river waters. The voter strength in Amritsar Lok Sabha is over 14 lakh.
Prominent among the candidates in fray for the Lok Sabha seat are BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, who is up against Congress' Gurjit Singh Aujla and Aam Aadmi Party's Upkar Singh Sandhu.
The counting of votes for the state polls and Amritsar Lok Sabha by-poll will take place on March 11.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at Lambi, the 89-year-old chief minister said, "I have 70 years of experience and have fought for Punjab and India, this is a small battle."
Sukhbir Badal claimed that "We will have a bigger win than last time."
"AAP will finish at third number spot," he said in reply to a question.
"People will vote for development, peace and communal harmony. AAP is a pack of criminals," he said.
Amarinder Singh said that his party was leading in the entire state and was set to form the government.
He claimed that he would also win from Lambi, defeating the chief minister.
Cricketer Harbhajan Singh and his mother Avtar Kaur also exercised their franchise.
"This time, three parties in the fray are fighting it out, I wish that whosoever wins should keep Punjab's interests above all," he told reporters.
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who along with his wife Navjot Kaur cast his vote in Amritsar, said "People of Punjab will give a gift to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi by ensuring party's victory here and its revival in the country."
"Truth will prevail in Punjab... from this place Congress flag will start floating," he said.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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