States »NortPosted at: Apr 14 2021 8:03PM UP prepares for 1st phase of panchayat polls in 18 districts on Thursday
Lucknow, Apr 14 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh State Elections Commission (SEC) has made elaborate arrangements including security and tranparency for the first phase of the 3-tier panchayat polls in the state to be held on Thursday.
However, there were some confusion and rumour that the panchayat elections could be postponed due to Covid. But SEC has denied such move and said that the elections would be held as per schedule.
Over 123 million voters are eligible to cast their votes in the four phase polling through ballot papers to be held on April 15, 19, 26 and 29 with counting of votes on May 2.
The polling will be held from 0700 hrs to 1800 hrs tomorrow . Each voter will have the privilege to cast four votes, one each for village panchayat member, Pradhan, Khetra panchayat member and zila panchayat member.
SEC Manoj Kumar said here on Wednesday that polling parties have started reaching their booths in 18 disttict where polling is slated in the first phase.
He said 23 senior IAS and PCS officers have been made observers in this elections. Besides their will be adequate security at the polling booths.
In the first phase, the total number of tehsil is 88 which includes 312 blocks, while the posts in stake are 14789 for gram pradhan , 186583 for gram panchayat members , 19313 khetra panchayat members and 779 zila panchayat members posts.
In the first phase, there are 11,442 candidates for 779 posts of Zila Panchayat member, 81,747 candidates for 19,313 posts of Kshetra Panchayat member, 1,14,142 candidates for 14,789 posts of Gram Pradhan and for 1,86,583 posts of Gram Panchayat ward members there are 2,26,613 candidates in the fray.
The districts that are included in the first phase of UP Panchayat Elections includes Saharanpur., Ghaziabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Hathras, Agra, Kanpur Nagar, Jhansi, Mahoba, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Hardoi, Ayodhya, Shravasti, Santakbirnagar, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur and Bhadohi.
Voting will take place in the midst of the stringent Covid protocol, even as the second wave of Corona virus infection picks up. It will be mandatory for voters to put on masks and maintain physical distance. The commission has issued an order to make the enclosure at a distance of six-six feet outside every polling station. The Covid-19 protocol will also be fully followed during the counting of votes on May 2 PPE kits will also be arranged as and when required.
State's ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar said that in the first phase, voting will be held at 51,036 polling booths in a total of 19,774 polling stations in these 18 districts.
Among these, special focus will be on Jhansi, Hardoi, Kanpur, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur and Bhadohi ,he said .
Mr Kumar says that the policemen who are on duty have been instructed to make masks, face shields, sanitizers, gloves and other safety equipment compulsory.
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