Chamba: First phase polling for Panchayati Raj polls across 676 wards begins
Chamba, May 26
Voting for the first phase of Panchayati Raj elections in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba commenced on Tuesday, with the district administration making elaborate arrangements to ensure peaceful and fair polling.
According to officials, polling will be conducted for 676 wards across 118 panchayats in the district during the first phase.
The Panchayati Raj elections in Chamba district are being conducted in three phases, with polling for other two phases scheduled on May 28 and May 30.
To ensure the smooth conduct of the elections, the administration has deployed 3,813 employees across 319 panchayats in the district. A total of 4,07,853 voters are eligible to cast their votes in the elections. The electorate comprises 2,01,283 female voters and 2,06,570 male voters.
Meanwhile, on May 17, Voting for 51 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Himachal Pradesh, including the four Municipal Corporations of Solan, Mandi, Palampur and Dharamshala, remained peaceful with an overall polling percentage of 69.16 per cent recorded across the state, officials said.
The overall polling percentage this year remained lower than the 72 per cent turnout recorded during the last general ULB elections held in 2021.
While 72.42 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in 25 Municipal Councils and 22 Nagar Panchayats, the four Municipal Corporations recorded a comparatively lower polling percentage of 63.44 per cent.
Polling through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was conducted from 7 AM to 3 PM amid tight security arrangements and passed off without any untoward incident.
State Chief Election Commissioner Anil Khachi said the polling process remained peaceful throughout the state.
"Polling remained completely peaceful with no reports of any kind of malfunction received from any part," Khachi said.
According to the State Election Commission, out of a total of 3,62,025 registered voters, as many as 2,50,391 voters exercised their franchise during the polling process.
Hamirpur district emerged as the top performer in voter participation with a turnout of 78.89 per cent. Shimla followed closely with 77.36 per cent polling, while Una registered 77 per cent turnout. Solan district recorded the lowest voter participation at 64.20 per cent.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Hamirpur leading with 78% turnout - the real champions of democracy! Meanwhile, urban corporations at 63% need to wake up. Local governance affects our daily lives more than national politics. Shame that people don't realize this during ULB elections.
It's inspiring to see India's grassroots democracy in action. 676 wards across 118 panchayats - that's real local empowerment. The EVMs worked smoothly and no incidents reported. Well done to the election commission and security forces for maintaining peace.
Ek baat toh clearly dikhti hai - gaon waale apne adhikaar samajhte hai! 78% in Hamirpur vs 63% in Municipal Corporations. Urban areas mai log local elections ko seriously nahi lete. But every vote counts, chahe woh panchayat ho ya corporation.
The three-phase polling is a smart move to manage logistics in hilly terrain. Respect to the 3,813 employees deployed across remote areas. But we need to question why urban turnout dropped from 72% to 69% - is it voter fatigue or lack of trust in local leadership?
Seeing more women voters (2,01,283) than men in some areas is a positive sign. But overall, why only 69% turnout? In Himachal where education levels are relatively high, this is disappointing. Panchayati Raj is the backbone of our democracy - we need to strengthen it.
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