Deputy commissioner-cum-district electoral officer Abhinav Trikha said on Thursday that all arrangements, including those pertaining to security, had been made to ensure free and fair panchayat elections in the district on July 3.
Addressing a press conference at his office here, he said that voting would be held for 1,292 panchayats while election for Bhagowal village panchayat would be held later due to legal issues. A total of 2,475 candidates were in fray for 1,292 posts of sarpanches in all 11 blocks in Gurdaspur district, after 2,553 persons withdrew their nominations.
The DC pointed out that 275 panchayats had already been declared elected unopposed.Trikha said that 7,588 staff would be deployed at 1,517 polling booths in the district, with each booth to be manned by one presiding officer,one assistant presiding officer and three polling officers.
The DC said that he had received 25 complaints regarding the rejection of nomination papers, but found them to be "baseless" after inquiry.