More than 80 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase of Haryana’s panchayat election held on Sunday which saw incidents of violence that left one dead and many injured.
According to the Haryana State Election Commission, Panchkula topped the table with 91.8 per cent voting in the first phase of fifth panchayat poll in the State. 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.
As per the reports, a person succumbed to injuries, which he received in a clash between supporters of two candidates at Ratipur village in Palwal as polling was underway. Several others were injured in poll-related clashes in Palwal, Mewat, Bhiwani, Rohtak and Fatehabad.
Another incident of violence was reported in Bhaloth of Rohtak, where a cousin of former Sarpanch was shot at by the relative of a candidate. The victim suffered injuries in hand and was rushed to PGIMER Rohtak. Reports of electronic voting machines (EVMs) being vandalised were received in Bhiwani while candidates were booked for allegedly “trading” liquor for votes in Jind district during the election.
In a separate incident in Pehowa, 8 persons were reportedly injured following clash outside a polling booth in Pehowa township and all were rushed to lNJP hospital. The polling was disrupted for an hour at Ratipur village after some gunshots were heard near a booth.
Similarly, voting was also disrupted at Behrola village of Hodal block after a clash between two groups.
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.
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.
Sharma said that the highest turnout was recorded in Panchkula at 91.8 per cent. Villagers were seen enthusiastic for voting in the district as 100 per cent voter turnout was recorded at booth number 32 of Panchayat Girdan, block Pinjore, district Panchkula, whereas booth number 33 in the same Panchayat recorded 98.42 per cent turnout. The voters were still waiting to cast their ballots till 6.00 pm at many polling booths across the State.
According to the State Election Commission, about 90 per cent voters have cast their votes in Yamunanagar, followed by 88.3 per cent in Fatehabad, 87.4 per cent voters in district Kaithal, 87.3 per cent in Sirsa, 85.2 per cent in Ambala, 84.1 per cent in Panipat, 82.4 per cent in Rohtak, 83.4 per cent in Hisar, 82.4 per cent in Jhajjar, 82.3 per cent in Gurgaon, 81.3 per cent in Mahendragarh, 79.9 per cent in Jind, 80.7 per cent in Karnal, 79 per cent in Mewat, 78.4 per cent in Kurukshetra, 77.8 per cent in Faridabad, 74.8 per cent in Sonipat, 73.7 per cent in Rewari, 67.8 per cent in Bhiwani and 65.2 per cent in Palwal.
Sharma said that counting of votes for the posts of sarpanches and panches began immediately after closing of polls and results of 152 posts of Sarpanch were declared up to 8.30pm.
The State Election Commissioner further 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. Report was received of a scuffle outside a polling booth in district Palwal, but it was unrelated to the election, he said. He added that the situation would be assessed after the final reports of returning officers.
As many as 3,339 candidates, including 1,260 women and 2,079 men, contested the election to zila parishad, 4,883, including 1,652 women and 3,231 men, to panchayat samiti, 11,296, including 4,139 women and 7,157 men, to the post of sarpanch and 24,143, including 9,364 women and 14,779 men, to the post of panch.