2nd phase of panchayat poll today

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 19

After a high turnout in the first phase of the nine-phased panchayat elections, the stage is set for the second phase of polls on Tuesday to decide the fate of over 4,000 candidates in 40 blocks spread over 15 districts.

The elections were to be conducted for 468 panchayat halqas and 3,610 panch constituencies but 1,159 candidates, including 90 for sarpanches and 1069 panches, were elected unopposed. Consequently, the polling would now take pace for 281 sarpanch and 1,286 panch seats, with 4,014 candidates in the fray. According to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), J&K, Shaleen Kabra, 3, 29,818 people would be voting for the sarpanch seats while 2, 07,796 would vote for the panch constituencies.

“In this phase, 2,179 polling stations have been set up — 828 in the Kashmir division and 1,351 in the Jammu division. Of them, 601 have been categorised as hypersensitive — 490 in the Kashmir division and 111 in the Jammu division,” Kabra said.

The CEO said the basic minimum facilities had been ensured in all polling stations to facilitate the voters. Tight security arrangements have been made, including deployment of Central Armed Police Forces and the local police, he said.

Kabra said senior government officials had been appointed as the general observers to oversee the smooth, fair and orderly conduct of the panchayat elections. He said the expenditure observers were keeping a watch on the amount spent by the candidates.

In addition, micro observers have been deployed at polling stations, particularly those considered hypersensitive.

Besides, the Zonal and Sector Magistrates have also been deployed.

Official sources said the authorities were facing an uphill task to conduct the polls in six blocks of Kargil district and five blocks of Leh district where the temperature was hovering below the freezing point.

“Given the logistical challenges and tough terrain, it will be a challenging task for the authorities to ensure good polling amid freezing temperature in the Ladakh region,” sources said.

According to the election department officials, 1,371 candidates are in the fray for 553 sarpanch halqas and 5,426 candidates for 4,279 panch wards in the state for the third phase of elections, will be held on November 24.

For the fourth phase of the elections on November 27, 1,382 candidates are in the fray for 531 sarpanch halqas and 5,201 candidates for 4,140 panch wards in the state.

For the fifth phase, 1,209 candidates are in the fray for 541 sarpanch halqas and 4,723 candidates for 4,297 panch wards across the state. The elections for the fifth phase will be held on November 29.