Arrangements complete for first phase polls to elect panches, sarpanches in Haryana: Election Commissioner

Haryana State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh has said all preparations pertaining to the first phase voting to elect panches and sarpanches on Wednesday have been completed.

The polling will be held to elect 2,607 sarpanches and 25,968 panches in nine districts: Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Panchkula, Panipat and Yamunanagar.

The first phase polls for zila parishads and panchayat samitis in these districts was held on October 30.

''Guidelines have been issued to all the supervisors. A heavy police force has been deployed at sensitive polling booths,'' Singh said on Tuesday.

Arrangements related to drinking water, electricity and wheelchairs for physically challenged voters have been taken care of at all polling booths, he said.

According to Singh, there are 49,67,092 voters in the nine districts and 6,019 polling booths have been set up. The polling is scheduled to be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

The state election commissioner had earlier said 133 sarpanches and 17,158 panches had been unanimously elected in the nine districts.

While results of the parch-sarpanch elections 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.

In the second phase, voting for zilla parishad and panchayat samiti members will be held on November 9 while polling for sarpanches and panches will be held on November 12 in Ambala, Charkhi Dadri, Gurugram, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Rewari, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat districts.

The third and final phase of polling in the remaining districts of Hisar, Palwal, Faridabad and Fatehabad to elect members of zila parishad and panchayat samitis will be held on November 22 and that of sarpanches and panches on November 25.