Fate of 44 candidates locked in EVMs in Jhajjar district

Jhajjar recorded 77.9 per cent voter turnout on Sunday in the elections for the post of the Beri Municipal Committee chairman and the 14 posts of councillor.

The election process remained peaceful across polling stations. Two EVMs, however, had to be replaced due to technical snags.

Five candidates were vying for the position of municipal president, while 39 — 26 men and 13 women — contested for the 14 councillor posts.

In total, 10,798 out of 13,867 voters participated in the elections, which were held under strict security measures to prevent any potential disturbances.

The fate of the 44 candidates is now sealed in EVMs, with vote counting scheduled for March 12 to determine the winners.

Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya visited polling stations throughout the day, ensuring that the election process was conducted impartially and smoothly.

He instructed election staff and security personnel to remain vigilant and carry out their duties with diligence.

The administration deployed additional police forces at sensitive polling booths, following the guidelines of the state Election Commission, to maintain law and order.

“Wheelchairs were provided for disabled voters at all polling booths. The booths were inspected regularly, and additional police forces were deployed at the most sensitive areas as per the state Election Commission’s guidelines. The administration remained on high alert, and no untoward incident was reported,” Dahiya said.

The election process was closely monitored by SDM Renuka Nandal, who oversaw the control room at Government Senior Secondary School, Beri.

All 27 EVMs were securely stored in the strong room at the school under strict supervision.

A duty magistrate has been appointed to oversee the strong room until the day of vote counting.

Vote counting for the posts of president and councillor will take place on March 12 at Lala Nobat Rai Hall, located on the Government Senior Secondary School campus.