Punjab’s 22 Zila Parishads and 150 Panchayat Samitis will go for polls on September 19.
As the State Election Commission announced the poll schedule to zila parishads and panchayat samitis on Wednesday, the model code of conduct has come into force in the state with the announcement, which would be in force till the completion of the electoral process. The results will be announced on September 22.
As of now, the State Government has dissolved all panchayat bodies.
The State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu said that filing of nominations for zila parishads and panchayat samitis will commence from September 4,and the last date will be September 7.
Nominations will be scrutinised on September 10, while the date for withdrawal is September 11, he said, adding that the election symbols will be allotted on September 11.
“The voting will be held on September 19 and the counting will take place on September 22,” said Sandhu adding that the voting will be held from 8 am to 4 pm.
A total of 354 people will be elected to zila parishads, while 2,900 to panchayat samitis. “There will be 50 percent reservation for women in all zila parishads and panchayat samitis,” he said.
There are 1,27,87,395 registered voters, comprising 60,99,053 females and 97 third genders, in the state as on January 1, 2018. An option of NOTA will also be provided to the voters, Sandhu said.
He said no EVM would be used and the polling will be conducted only through the ballot paper system. As many 62,000 ballot boxes have been arranged for the polling, he said.
On using electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the polls, Sandhu said that it has been a usual practice of conducting zila parishads and panchayat samitis elections though the ballot paper only.
During the last polling also, which took place in May 2013, ballot papers were used, he said, adding that there could be logistic problem if EVMs are to be used.
Sandhu said that the expenditure limit for a candidate contesting zila parishad polls has been hiked to Rs 1.90 lakh from 1.56 lakh earlier and for panchayat samitis from Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000 per candidate.
A total of 17,268 polling booths will be set up and 86,340 personnel will be put on the election duty. Thirty-five observers will be appointed to ensure peaceful conduct of the polls, he said.
To a question about panchayat polls, Sandhu said that the State Government was yet to notify the reservation pertaining to panchayats.