PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The voting for the second phase of Panchayat elections in the State ended peacefully on Monday. The voting was held in 40 blocks of the State.
The data of the State Election Commission show that 58.12 per cent voters had exercised their franchise till 4 PM on the day.
The voting started at 8 AM at a slow pace. Only 12.42 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise till 10 AM. Later the voting picked up and 29.22 per cent voting was reported till 12 AM and 41.95 per cent till 2 PM. In the second phase of elections, 21,57,199 voters ( 10,45,643 female, 11,11,490 male) were registered. The SEC had deployed 4,709 personnel for the polling parties.
In the second phase, a total of 1,980 candidates were in fray for 933 posts of member village Panchayat. Similarly 7,833 candidates for 2,726 posts of village Pradhan and 4,214 candidates for 1,225 posts of member block Panchayat were in the fray. Apart from them 716 candidates were in fray for 149 posts of member district Panchayat.
After the close of voting on Monday, the fate of 14,751 candidates for 5,033 posts was sealed in the ballot boxes.
The polling parties transferred the sealed ballot boxes to their respective blocks after the end of voting where they will be kept under tight security. The counting of votes for the posts of Pradhans and member village Panchayat will be done in their respective blocks while the counting of member block Panchayat and member district Panchayat will be done at district headquarters.
The counting of the votes for the both phases of the Panchayat elections will be done on December 31.
