Panchayat polls: 81.8% voting in second phase

While the results of the sarpanch and panch polls will be declared at the end of voting in each phase, results of zila parishads and panchayat samiti members will be declared on November 27

The second phase of the election to elect panches and sarpanches (members and village chiefs) in Gurugram district as part of the three-phase panchayat elections in the state was held on Saturday. Polling was conducted from 7am to 6pm at 281 polling booths in the district, said officials.

76-year-old Samay Ram leaves in a wheelchair after casting his vote at a polling station during the Haryana Panchayat elections at the Government Primary School in Gairatpur Bas village, in Gurugram, India, on November 12. (Parveen Kumar/ HT Photo)

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, who is also district election officer, said voting was peaceful in the district and 81.8% polling was recorded. “We visited various polling stations and took stock of proceedings to ensure law and order and that sufficient arrangements were in place to facilitate voters,” he said.

While the results of the sarpanch and panch polls will be declared at the end of voting in each phase, results of zila parishads and panchayat samiti members will be declared on November 27, after all three phases are completed.

Officials said sufficient police teams were deployed outside each polling station to maintain law and order. Of the total 238,360 voters, 195,022 voted in the elections on Saturday.

Voting was held in the first phase on Wednesday for 10 wards of the zila parishad where 65 candidates are contesting, and 68 wards of panchayat samitis where 246 candidates are contesting, officials said.

The minimum education qualification to contest for the post of panch (unreserved category) was Class 10 while for men (scheduled caste category) and women from any category, the minimum qualification was Class 8. In the case of a woman candidate from scheduled caste, the minimum qualification was Class 5.