Haryana gears up for first phase of Panchayat polls tomorrow

Haryana State Election Commission has made all the arrangements to ensure peaceful, free and fair conduct for the first phase of the fifth Panchayat General Elections to be held tomorrow. While stating this here today, State Election Commissioner, Haryana, Rajeev Sharma said elections are being held in 47 blocks in which 8,981 polling stations have been set up where 46,59,922 voters would cast vote. He said polling would be held between 7.30 am and 4 pm. Those who would be in queue or in the premises of polling booth up to 4 pm would be given identity slip to cast their vote. Immediately after polling, counting would begin for Sarpanch and Panch, and results would be declared soon after counting is completed. He said in the first phase, 3,339 candidates are contesting elections for 416 wards of Zila Parishads, 4,883 candidates for 1,221 wards of Panchayat Samitis, 11,296 candidates for 2,583 posts of Sarpanches and 24,143 candidates for 26,248 posts of Panches. These include 2,079 men and 1,260 women candidates contesting elections for Zila Parishad, 3,231 men and 1,652 women contesting elections for Panchayat Samitis, 7,157 men and 4,139 women contesting elections for Sarpanches and 14,779 men and 9,364 women contesting elections for Panches, he said. Sharma said that arrangements for uninterrupted power supply and adequate drinking water have been made available at the polling stations. He said for the first time e-Dashboard has been developed for monitoring the entire election process which would enable the Commission to get all information pertaining to elections from every district. The state election commissioner further said elections would be held for 23,095 seats in the second phase. He said that elections would be held for 972 wards out of 999 wards of Panchayat Samiti, 1,929 posts out of 1,970 posts of Sarpanch and 12,527 posts out of 20,126 posts of Panches. A total of 50,172 nominations including 30,390 of men and 19,782 of women have been received in the second phase. A total of 47,429 nominations have been found valid, 2,743 nominations have been cancelled and 4,960 candidates have withdrawn their candidature, he said. Sharma said 7,289 candidates have been elected unanimously for the second phase. So far, 35,180 candidates are in fray including 21,492 men and 13,688 women candidates.