State Election Commissioner (SEC) Suvardhan said that they are going to conduct Panchayat election in 12 districts in three phases i.e. March 8, 11 and 14.
For this election officials have been asked to update the voters list by February 8, 2014.This time voters will exercise their franchise through ballot papers for four posts i.e. Gram Panchayat, Pradhan, Kshtra Panchayat and Zila Panchayat member.
As we are going to add the new voters in the voters list who will complete 18 years by January 1, 2014. He has also appealed the new voters or other voters, who have left to include in voters list due to any reason, can register their name in nearby office or before Pradhan upto January 15, 2014.
Election commission will release final voter list by February 8 after scrutiny. He also made it clear that one person can lodge their name in voter list in one place so if anyone found having registered in two place then it would be case of forgery.
According to SEC 7,839 Panchayats in the 12 district and around 277 new Panchayat will be added as per the new delimitation and 46 lakh voters stay in villages but this figure will touch 50 lakh after correction.
Currently 89 Keshtra Panchayat exists in the 12 districts. Taking cognizance on the disaster, which has forced people to live in temporary makeshift or alternative arrangement, SEC said that we will make arrangement as per their convenience.
For this we sought District magistrates report and all of them have said that this is not an issue. In first phase election, nomination would be in between February 17-20, scrutiny in between February 21-25, withdrawal February 26, symbol allocation on February 28, polling on March 8.
In second phase, polling would be on March 11, nomination in between February 21-25, withdrawal on February 26, symbol allocation on March 3. In third phase, polling on March 14, nomination in between February 21-25, withdrawl February 26, symbol allocation on March 6.