Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad on Thursday recorded 63.5% turnout for 2,141 seats in the district in the panchayat polls. Of the four blocks, Muradnagar recorded the highest turnout where voting percentage was 72.5% followed by Bhojpur block which recorded 68% polling, Loni 63% and Razapur 57.9%.
District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said that polling was peaceful in the district with no untoward incident being reported. “For 2,141 different posts, a total of 952 candidates are in the fray. As many as 888 candidates have already been elected unopposed,” Pandey said, adding that 5.5 lakh voters were eligible in panchayat elections in Ghaziabad.
While polling was held under the shadow of the pandemic, district administration had made elaborate arrangements for it. “Covid protocols were adhered to and cops were stationed at all booths to enforce social distancing and other mandatory norms.” the DM said. Over 7,000 police personnel along with two PAC teams were deployed in the district.
Meanwhile, around 2,000 police personnel and several PAC units have been deployed in Gautam Budh Nagar to ensure law and order during the panchayat elections on April 19 in the district.
Vishal Pandey, additional DCP (Greater Noida), said that depending on the categories of sensitive, hyper-sensitive and normal polling booths, the ACPs have deployed and the local chowk in-charges are also moving around the area.