One died and several others were injured in poll-related clashes in Palwal, Rohtak, Mewat, Fathehabad, Bhiwani and other districts during the first phase of polling for the panchayat elections in Haryana on Sunday.
Haryana State Election Commissioner Rajeev Sharma said that according to the information received up to 9 pm, 80 per cent voters cast their ballots in 47 blocks of the state, and the final voter turnout may go up.
As many as 15,682 panches, 93 sarpanches and 46 members of panchayat samitis have been elected unanimously during the first phase of fifth general elections to the panchayati raj institutions in Haryana, which were conducted in a peaceful, free and fair manner, with the exception of isolated incidents, said he.
The highest turnout was recorded in Panchkula at 91.8 per cent followed by 90 per cent voters have cast their votes in Yamunanagar , 88.3 per cent in Fatehabad, 87.4 per cent voters in district Kaithal, 87.3 per cent in Sirsa and 85.2 per cent in Ambala.
He said that stray incidents of violence were reported from districts Palwal, Mewat, Bhiwani, Rohtak and Fatehabad. He added that polling would be conducted again in Punhana in district Mewat, where two EVMs were damaged.
As per the reports, a person succumbed to injuries he received in a clash between supporters of two candidates in Palwal as polling was underway.
The polling was conducted for 416 wards of zila parishad, 1,221 wards of panchayat samitis, 2,583 posts of sarpanch and 26,248 posts of panch in 47 blocks of Haryana on Sunday.
While the results of the zila parishad and the panchayat samitis will be declared on January 28, counting of votes for the post of sarpanch and panches was held immediately after polling ended.