By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 26 Jul: The campaign fervour surrounding the final phase of Uttarakhand’s three-tier panchayat elections drew to a close this Saturday evening at 5:30 PM. Polling for the second phase of panchayat election will be held on July 28. As the campaigning has ends, the candidates will be permitted to engage in door to door canvassing till before the polls.
All the contesting candidates have made their best efforts to reach voters as door-to-door canvassing continues in accordance with electoral norms. The first phase of voting was held on July 24. The counting of votes will be held on July 31. In case repolling in any polling station or booth is held due to unforeseen circumstances like inclement weather, then it will be held on July 30.
The polling parties have left for their destined polling booths on Saturday that are remotely located polling booths. The remaining polling parties will leave for the destined and assigned polling stations on Sunday. The State Election Commission, in coordination with police and administrative authorities, has finalised preparations to ensure peaceful and orderly polling in 40 blocks across the state. Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on July 31.
In the second phase, polling will be conducted in the following development blocks: Salt, Syalde, Bhikyasen, Hawalbagh, Dwarahat, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Jaspur, Champawat, Barakot, Bin, Munakot, Berinag, Gangolihat, Haldwani, Ramnagar, Bhimtal, Kotabagh, Dunda, Chinyalisaur, Bhatwari, Pokhari, Dasholi, Nandanagar, Karnaprayag, Gairsain, Kirtinagar, Devprayag, Narendranagar, Chamba, Doiwala, Raipur, Sahaspur, Yamkeshwar, Jaiharikhal, Dugadda, Dwarikhal, Pauri, Kot, and Kaljikhal. Voting in these areas will take place between 8 am and 5 pm on July 28.
As per Election Commission records, 1,998 candidates are contesting for 933 Member Gram Panchayat posts, 7,833 candidates are vying for 2,726 Pradhan Gram Panchayat posts, while 4,214 candidates are in the fray for 1,225 Member Kshetra Panchayat positions. Additionally, 716 candidates are contesting for 149 Member Zila Panchayat seats, with around 21 lakh voters expected to cast their votes in this phase.
In Nainital district, voting will be held in Bhimtal, Haldwani, Kotabagh, and Ramnagar blocks, for which 522 polling stations have been set up. A total of 576 polling teams comprising 2,880 personnel, including reserve staff, have been deployed to the booths. The police and district administration have made comprehensive arrangements to ensure that the polling exercise proceeds smoothly. With Zila Panchayat seats seen as a prestige contest for both BJP and Congress, leaders from both parties made extensive efforts to support their respective candidates on the final day of campaigning.
In Dehradun, polling will be held in two blocks namely Raipur and Doiwala whereas in the first phase, polling has been held in other blocks such as Sahaspur, Vikasnagar and Chakrata.
Chamoli district will witness polling in five blocks, namely, Dasholi, Nandanagar, Gairsain, Karnaprayag, and Pokhari, where 1,80,232 voters are set to exercise their franchise. The district will see voting for 17 Zila Panchayat Member seats, 125 Kshetra Panchayat Member seats, and 383 Gram Pradhan posts. Among the electorate in Chamoli, 88,221 women and 92,011 men are eligible to vote in this phase.
In Dasholi block, 15,523 women and 16,688 men will cast their votes for three Zila Panchayat members, 29 Kshetra Panchayat members, and 67 Gram Pradhan candidates. In Gairsain, polling will be held for five Zila Panchayat members, 40 Kshetra Panchayat members, and 95 Gram Pradhans, with 23,963 women and 23,986 men voters set to participate. Nandanagar will witness polling for three Zila Panchayat members, 28 Kshetra Panchayat members, and 54 Gram Pradhan candidates, with 14,082 women and 16,107 men eligible to vote. In Karnaprayag, 28,653 women and 19,251 men will vote for three Zila Panchayat, 31 Kshetra Panchayat, and 94 Gram Pradhan seats. Pokhari block will see polling for three Zila Panchayat, 25 Kshetra Panchayat, and 73 Gram Pradhan candidates, with 15,262 women and 15,979 men casting their votes.
District Election Officer and District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari confirmed that polling parties and security forces have been stationed in all locations across Chamoli to facilitate a safe, smooth, and peaceful election process on July 28.
