State poll body gears up to conduct polling in 156 urban local bodies today

About 52.60 lakh electors are likely to exercise their franchise during the first phase of polling to elect 3,346 ward councillors, 156 chief councillors, or an equal number of deputy chief councillors.

PATNA: Elaborate arrangements have been made to conduct free and fair polling in 3,346 wards of 156 urban local bodies (ULBs) out of the 224 municipal bodies in the first phase of the elections on Sunday, state election commission (SEC) officials said.

Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) being carried at polling station in Patna on Saturday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

About 52.60 lakh electors are likely to exercise their franchise during the first phase of polling to elect 3,346 ward councillors, 156 chief councillors, or an equal number of deputy chief councillors.

As many as 81,246 candidates, including 11,582 women and three others, are in the fray during the first phase of polling taking place in 156 ULBs on Sunday. Elections will be done through electronic voting machines and the results will be announced on Tuesday, said an official of the SEC.

Process for the next round of polling in 1,529 wards of 68 ULBs, including 17 municipal corporations, will start on December 28.

It is for the first time that mayors and deputy mayors will be elected through direct voting in the state.

Officials said that voting processes on the sensitive booths will be webcast and an adequate number of armed personnel would be deployed to ensure free and fair elections.

A total of 1,14,52,759 electors are likely to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives in 17 municipal corporations, 70 nagar parishads, and 137 nagar panchayats. “Elections in 24 more ULBs, which are held up due to some technical issues, will be announced later,” said the official, adding the voting will be done at 14,048 polling stations spread over 37 out of 38 districts.