The first of the three-phase Panchayati Raj Institution elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on Sunday and over 1,200 panchayats will go to polls, electoral officer Sanjeev Mahajan said. Voting in 1,227 gram panchayats will be held from 8 am to 4 pm, he said on Saturday, adding that the remaining two phases are slated to be held on January 19 and January 21.
Mahajan said that as many as 7,583 polling parties will ensure smooth conduct of voting in the first phase. The counting of votes for ward members, deputy village heads and village heads will be conducted soon after completion of voting.
However, counting of votes for members of the panchayat samitis and zila parishads will be conducted on January 22. The election process will be completed by January 23, Mahajan said.
The candidates are contesting these elections as independents and not on party symbols, though.