Chandigarh: Voting for 117 assembly constituencies across 23 districts of the Punjab Assembly has begun on Sunday. Voter turnout was 63.44 per cent till 5 PM. 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  contested on 65 seats, former chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh led Punjab Lok Congress 37 seats, and SAD-Sanyukt on 15 seats.

Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi cast his vote at a polling booth in Kharar. He is contesting the polls from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur constituencies, as a Congress candidate. 

"The Congress party will form a government with 2/3rd majority in Punjab:, Channi said after the polling. 

Former Punjab CM and PLC chief Captain Amarinder Singh are contesting from Patiala. 

Preneet Kaur, rebel Congress MP, said, "Capt Amarinder Singh (Punjab Lok Congress leader and ex-CM will win from Patiala Assembly constituency. Change should be brought keeping in mind the future of youth. Votes should be cast based on who can bring peace&economic stability to the state".  

Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress, said, "On one side is the mafia system of the Badal family and Capt Amarinder Singh. On the other side are those who love Punjab. We lost one generation to terrorism, the second to drugs, so, today we've to vote carefully. People will vote in large numbers to bring change". 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) postponed polling for the Punjab Assembly elections from February 14 to 20 after the State government and political parties raised concern that many devotees will be in Varanasi to celebrate Guru Ravidas’s birth anniversary on February 16 and miss out on voting.

The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 10 March 2022.