CHANDIGARH: Amidst stray incidents of minor violence from Ambala and delayed start of EVM in Karnal, voting for elections to village panchayats in nine districts for the second phase concluded peacefully on Saturday.
With Sirsa topping the tally with 83.3% and lowest percentage of Sonipat, the overall voting of the districts which had gone to polls crossed 81% voting by 7.30 pm . As voting was still in progress, hence, the final figure of polled votes was yet to be finalized.
The districts which went to poll include Ambala, Charkhi Dadri, Gurugram, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Rewari, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat. Voting was held for 2,683 Sarpanchs and 25,655 Panchs in 57 blocks of these nine districts.
Notably, Sirsa was followed by Kurkshetra, Karnal, Gurugram, Charkhi Dadri and Ambala which had reported more than 80% polling. After Sonipat, which reported the lowest polling of 74.4%, it was Rohtak district wherein polling was reported to be 77.3%.
According to information, out of the total 48,67, 132 electors, 38,33,013 had polled their votes in 5,963 polling booths in the nine districts.
The presiding officers of the polling stations had started declaring the results after counting in most of the places barring the few where voting was still in progress.
Voting for Sarpanchs was to be held with EVM and ballot papers were used for the voting of Panchs.
State election commissioner Dhanapat Singh said that barring Ambala where things were sorted out and two wards of Rewari where a mismatch was found on ballot papers polling went on peacefully in the state.
"We have ordered repoll in Rewari while rest is fine. We shall consolidate the voting percentage of second phase after entire process is complete," said Dhanpat Singh.
Notably, 81% voters of nine districts came out to elect their Sarpanch and Panch during the first phase of voting in nine districts held on November 2.
According to information, the district election officer of Charkhi Dadri placed under suspension the polling party of booth number 122 of Bigowa village.
It is learned that the polling party was absent from then booth at the time of surprise checking conducted by Deputy commissioner cum DEO Preeti.
In Ambala, an altercation had brokeout in a village falling under Mullana block over the issue of old and new voters added in then voters list. The deputy commissioner rushed to the spot and handled the situation.
