PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The State Election Commission (SEC) has reported an impressive voter turnout of 68 per cent in the first phase of the three tier Panchayat elections in the State. In the elections 73 per cent women and 63 per cent men exercised their franchise. In the first phase voting was held in 49 blocks on Thursday.
After the end of voting, the fate of 17,829 candidates for a total of 6049 posts (948 village Panchayat members, 3,398 Pradhan, 948 member block Panchayat and 201 member district Panchayat) was sealed in the ballot boxes.
The Panchayat elections are being held in 89 blocks of 12 districts of the State barring Haridwar. The commission has deployed 55 general observers and 12 reserved observers in the Panchayat elections in the State.
The voting for the second phase of elections will be held from 8 AM to 5 PM on 28. The counting of the votes for both phases will commence at 8.00 AM on July 31 and the process will continue till the official declaration of the results.
In the second part of the Panchayat elections in 12 districts, the elected members of block Panchayats will elect block pramukhs while the elected district Panchayat members will elect district Panchayat presidents.
