Chandigarh : The votes of SAD MLA Perminder Singh Dhindsa and Lok Insaf Party Simarjit Singh Bains were cancelled in the Presidential election polling held at Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) recommended cancellation of Bains’ vote as he reportedkly showed his unfolded ballot paper to the polling officers.

Notably, Bains had declared support to NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

The vote of Dhindsa was cancelled as he claimed his pen fell on ballot paper of the candidate Meira Kumar leaving a spot on it.

Dhindsa demanded a new ballot paper which was denied as the ARO said there was no provision of a second ballot paper to be given to any voter.

All the Punjab 77 Congress MLAs, including Chief Minister and CLP leader Captain Amarinder Singh, cast their votes by 12:15 pm, a party spokesperson said.

The party’s polling agent Navtej Singh Cheema, MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi  was the first among the Congress MLAs to cast his vote.

Subsequently, Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Rana KP Singh and Local Government Minister Navjot Sidhu accompanied by MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Pargat Singh exercised their franchise.

Faridkot MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon was the last Congress MLA to cast his vote.

AICC appointed observer, former Union Minister RPN Singh, was also present on the occasion to ensure free, fair and transparent polling for the election.

Captain Amarinder earlier chaired a meeting of the party MLAs, also attended by RPN Singh, before the MLAs went to participate in the polling.