The Panchayat elections in the State would now be organised in two stages instead of the earlier schedule of three stages. State Election Commissioner Subardhan released the amended schedule at the State Election Commission office here on Monday.
The first stage of the three-tier Panchayat elections would be held on March 21 and the second stage would be held on March 24. Addressing media persons, Subardhan said that the State Government had sent the proposal for amending the schedule and the commission has accepted it. He said that nomination papers for both the first and second stages of the election can be filed from March 5 to March 7.
The scrutiny of these papers would be done from March 8 to March 10 and the date of withdrawal of nomination is March 11. The symbols for the first stage candidates would be allotted on March 12 and for the second stage on March 15. The counting of votes for both the stages would be done on March 26.
The State Election Commissioner said that the State Government would release the notification for the Panchayat elections on March 1, while the SEC would release the notification on forenoon of March 2 and the district magistrates would release their notification in afternoon of March 2.
He said that the model code of conduct would be imposed in the State with the notification of SEC on March 2. Subardhan clarified that the disaster relief works would not be affected by the model code of conduct.
“The Government is free to go ahead with the disaster relief works and it can even announce new schemes for the disaster affected areas while the model code of conduct in in effect,” he said.
Responding to a query Subardhan accepted that to hold Panchayat elections in two stages is a big challenge as it requires lot of manpower. However, he added that the SEC is fully prepared for facilitating free and fair Panchayat elections.
A total of 4691003 voters would exercise their franchise in the Panchayat elections in the State, out which 2313900 are females and 2377103 are male voters.